I Was Denied Justice – Sonko Laments As He Writes to EACJ on Impeachment Ruling

Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, who is currently under fire, has said that he will write to the East Africa Court of Justice to have the Supreme Court’s decision upholding his impeachment reviewed.

His announcement on Saturday came as the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced it would publicly state its position on his bid for governor next week.

“We have filed for a review before the same Supreme Court and we have also filed before the East Africa Court of Justice,” Sonko said.

According to him, the EACJ is authorized to hear his appeal and is recognized under the Kenyan Constitution.

Read: End of Road for Sonko as Supreme Court Upholds Impeachment

“So mtu akisema Sonko kwisha, this is the end of Sonko, it’s the start of Sonko not the end of Sonko,” he added.

The former governor contended that Martha Koome, the Chief Justice, should not have been a member of the seven-judge bench that decided his fate.

He said that the CJ should have recused herself due to a conflict of interest because she had publicly stated her position on the matter.

Sonko added that the decision was unfair because his lawyers were not given enough time to submit evidence because his appeal was considered in a single day.

Read Also: Sonko Finally Cleared to Vie for Mombasa Governorship

The Senate’s impeachment of Sonko on December 17, 2020 was upheld by the Supreme Court on Friday, effectively putting an end to his comeback to active politics.

Sonko failed to establish that the removal procedure was faulty, said the apex court judges, who ruled that he was duly removed from office.

He effectively lacks the qualifications necessary to occupy any public office, whether through appointment or election.

Sonko, who is running for Mombasa governor on the Wiper Party ticket in the general election on August 9, disagrees.

Read Also: Win for Sonko As Court Orders IEBC To Clear Him for Mombasa Governor Race

“Martha Koome is not above the law. I’m consulting, I might also be forced to file a complaint against her at the JSC and she must recuse herself from the JSC when her complaint goes there,” Sonko said.

“If a person like me can be denied justice, where are we heading as a country?”

However, the IEBC might come to his rescue after all.

Regarding Sonko’s case, chairperson Wafula Chebukati stated that he has not yet had a chance to analyze the Supreme Court’s decision but that he will by Monday or Tuesday of the following week.

Read Also: Sonko Claims IEBC Received Bribe To Lock Him Out of Mombasa Gubernatorial Race

“As a commission we shall look at the issues and maybe get back to the country on Monday or Tuesday,” he said.

When affirming Sonko’s impeachment, the Supreme Court did not specify whether this rendered him ineligible to run for office.

However, any person removed from office for breaking the law is prohibited from ever holding another public office by Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity.