The impeached Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko, has showed interest in the upcoming by-election which is set to take place on February 18th.
The impeached governor is said to have obtained Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) clearance certificates in a move to defend his seat.
Mike Sonko is said to have made the move after the former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu was cleared by the Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to vie for the Gubernatorial seat despite facing corruption charges.
The Commission had said leaders who were impeached will not be cleared to run for any public office because they violated Chapter Six of the Constitution on integrity and abuse of office issues.
The Nairobi Gubernatorial seat was left vacant after the impeachment of Mike Sonko by the National Assembly. His impeachment was also upheld by the Senate on 18th December 20.
READ: Governor Mike Sonko Impeached
Although Sonko has interests ind defending his seat, Lawyer Steve Ogolla says Somko cannot bounce back in any elective position owing to the fact that he was found to have breached the law twice, first by the County Assembly then by the senate.
No. Sonko cannot run again. If you look at Article 182 of the Constitution, the vacancy has arisen as a consequence of his removal under Article 181 of the Constitution. It is a consequence of gross misconduct and abuse of office,
Ogolla said.
Former Deputy speaker Kithure Kindiki also said that impeached county officials cannot run for elecion to the office of the governor.
It appears from the wordings of the Constitution that a person charged in court but is yet to be convicted or one who has been convicted but has not exhausted the appeal avenues can be cleared to vie for political office, but not one who is removed from office whether by court or impeachment or any other way for breach of chapter six of the Constitution,
Kindiki said.
Sonko being who he is, we will wait to see if he will get clearance from IEBC to vie for the seat.
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