•The latest political leader to be granted a direct ticket to contest is former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko who defected to Wiper from Jubilee.
•Sonko is seeking to succeed Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho in the August 9 polls.
Image: FILE
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has urged Kenyans not to elect into office persons facing corruption charges.
In a tweet on Friday, the commission said Kenyans should consider electing leaders with integrity.
"It is wrong for political parties to nominate persons with integrity deficits to contest in the elections. The quest for good governance is a responsibility for all," the commission said.
The commission made the announcement even as political parties are currently conducting their primaries to nominate candidates for various political seats ahead of the August 9, 2022, General Election.
In counties and constituencies where nominations have not been conducted, some political aspirants were granted direct tickets by the respective parties while others went to the polls.
The latest political leader to be granted a direct ticket to contest is former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko who defected to Wiper from Jubilee.
Sonko is seeking to succeed Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho in the August 9 polls.
He was impeached as Nairobi governor in December 2020 after he was accused of gross violation of the constitution or any other law, abuse of office, gross misconduct and crimes under national law.
Sonko went to the Supreme Court to challenge his ouster after the High court and Court of Appeal upheld that he was legally impeached in 2020.
Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka while handing over the ticket to the aspirants said that Sonko has an active appeal case pending in court and he is innocent until proven guilty and deserves a ticket if he wants one.
“He (Sonko) has an active appeal pending before the court and as long as it is there, you cannot deny him a ticket,” he added.
EACC urges citizens not to elect into office persons facing corruption charges. Similarly,it is wrong for political parties to nominate persons with integrity deficits to contest elections. The quest for good governance is a responsibility for all.
— EACC (@EACCKenya) April 22, 2022
Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero who will be vying for the Homa Bay governorship as an independent candidate is also facing graft-related charges.
Ferdinand Waititu is also seeking to make a comeback despite his impeachment on graft claims.
Currently, three governors are under investigation.
EACC had said the commission was finalising investigations against Governors Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Dhadho Godhana (Tana River) and Fahim Twaha (Lamu).
Waiguru is being investigated over imprest amounting to Sh10.6 million.
In June 2020, Waiguru survived an impeachment motion that was anchored on the allegations the EACC is pursuing.
For Dhadho, the EACC has been awaiting the response of the DPP since March 2021 when it submitted the file after a back and forth with the prosecutor.
For Lamu’s Twaha, the EACC wants the DPP to approve 12 counts of abuse of office in the irregular hiring of 12 county staff members.
Waiguru has however declared that she will defend her seat and has also been touted as Deputy President William Ruto's possible running mates.