Sonko vows to make political comeback as he registers own party

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has vowed a political comeback after he successfully registered a party, the National Economic Development Party (NEDP).

Although an impeached person cannot run for office, Sonko said he will be returning to the Supreme Court to seek a review of the highest court on the land to uphold his impeachment.

Sonko was impeached by the Nairobi Members of the County Assembly (MCAS) in December 2020 and moved to the High Court seeking to quash the impeachment.l

In Kenya, the case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which upheld his impeachment. However, he later moved to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), where the court ruled in his favor, finding that he had been illegally impeached.

The former Nairobi governor is now seeking review of his case.

 The constitution provides that a person is not disqualified from vying for office unless all possibilities of appeal or review of the relevant sentence or decision have been exhausted.

“Yes, I have exhausted all my appeals up to the Supreme Court, but then I have a very good case that is coming up for review in light of new evidence that is in my possession,” he told journalists outside the office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place.

Sonko claimed he had obtained affidavits from MCAs who impeached him, confessing that they had been forced by powerful forces in government to impeach him.

I have affidavits from some of the leaders disowning the impeachment; this is the new evidence I intend to file in court as I seek a review of the decision,” Sonko said, adding that even the East African Court of Justice had disagreed with the Kenyan Supreme Court.

“In just 24 hours, the Supreme Court buried my political career, but it's not yet over. Article 193 of the Constitution provides that you can only be locked out if you have exhausted all the appeals or reviews available. I am returning to court on a review basis and thus will be eligible to contest for any seat based on the pending review,” the ex-governor added.

On Tuesday morning, Sonko said his new NEDP vehicle will be targeting youthful faces to contest for various seats across the country.

“This is not about Sonko but ordinary Kenyans. We will be holding a recruitment drive and hereby invite all Kenyans to this movement, which is a break from the past.”

The party will be formally launched on a different date.

Sonko, who once served as Makadara MP, Nairobi Senator and later Governor, is listed as the NEDP party leader with ex-SONU leader Anthony Manyara and KEMU University Student leader Naomi Chebet Masai as his two deputies, John Nyamu as chairman and his former PA Ben Mulwa serving as Secretary General.   

Eric Njoroge will serve as Deputy SG, Francis Wambua as Treasurer, Laura Mwende as Deputy Treasurer, Peterson Maina as National Organising Secretary and Joseph Kiangoi as Deputy Organising Secretary.

“As youths, we will no longer sit on the dining table or but we will be the ones to prepare the menu,” Masai said, adding that the party will mainstream the youths in the country’s politics instead of using them as just voters.