The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Dispute Resolution Committee has barred Mombasa gubernatorial aspirant, Mike Mbuvi Sonko from vying in the August 9 polls.
The IEBC disputes resolution committee dismissed Sonko’s petition, upholding the verdict of the Retuning Officer to disqualify him.
In its ruling, however, the Committee handed the Wiper party a lifeline by directing it to nominate Sonko's replacement in the next 72 hours.
“He may be cleared in 2017 but that doesn't take away the requirement for the 2022 polls where IEBC is supposed to verify the degree certificate. Nothing has been placed to show that other aspirants weren't asked to prove academic qualification hence there is no discrimination,” the committee ruled.
The former Nairobi governor’s legal team has already stated that they will proceed to the High Court to challenge the ruling.
The decision came days after Sonko appealed IEBC's decision to bar him from contesting the Mombasa Gubernatorial seat. He argued that the commission had cleared other politicians who were impeached but opted to disqualify him.
The former Nairobi governor maintained that he had an active appeal for his impeachment and was allowed by the constitution to vie for an elective seat.
"When I was impeached, Chebukati gazetted by-elections for Nairobi. After five days, he gazetted people who were to contest for the seat and one of them was former Kiambu Governor, Ferdinand Waititu, who was also impeached. Is there a law for Sonko and one for others? No. We only have one Constitution for Kenya that was promulgated in 2010,” he pointed out.
While releasing the names of politicians who were barred on June 4, 2022, Chebukati defended his decision of barring Sonko, arguing that he was removed from office for abuse of public office.
"A person who is removed from office on contravention of Chapter 6 of the Constitution is disqualified from holding office, elective or appointed," Chebukati had previously stated.
In a similar ruling, the tribunal had dismissed UDA Senatorial aspirant, Karungo wa Thang'wa, from vying in the August 9 poll over impeachment grounds. The committee maintained that Thang'wa could not hold ever hold public office.
