BY SAM ALFAN.
Chief Justice Martha Koome has appointed three judges to hear an appeal filed Mombasa gubernatorial candidate Mike Sonko.
Sonko filed the appeal after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission dispute resolution committee barred him from contesting the August 9 polls, saying he was not eligible to hold public office because he was impeached.
The committee led by the chairman Wambua Kilozno gave his party- Wiper a chance to replace Sonko with another candidate.
Speaking at the Supreme Court building, Sonko thanked the CJ’s office for expediting the matter by appointing the bench.
“My compliments to the CJ’s office for acting expeditiously in empaneling another three judge bench to hear my appeal against the IEBC dispute resolution committee in upholding the Mombasa County IEBC returning officer’s decision,” said Sonko.
The former Nairobi county boss vowed not to give up in his quest to get justice.
The case was certified as urgent by High Court judge Olga Sewe who forwarded the file to Chief Justice to empanel a bench to determine the appeal.
“I’m of the considered view of empaneling the bench by the Chief Justice. This file should therefore be transmitted to the Chief Justice for the empaneling of the bench,” judge Sewe ruled.
Sonko has maintained that although his impeachment in 2019 was upheld by the High Court and Court of Appeal, he has filed a third appeal, which is pending hearing at the Supreme Court.
He was nominated by the Wiper Party as its candidate for the Mombasa County Gubernatorial candidate but the electoral body chairman Wafula Chebukati had issued a media statement saying he (Sonko) was disqualified from contesting.
He presented his papers before Mombasa Returning Officer Swalha Ibrahim Yusuf at 2:30 pm as per IEBC checklist.
