To former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko, Azimio Presidential running mate Martha Karua is a rare gem.
Sonko, who has lately faced numerous hurdles in his bid to have his name on the ballot, on Wednesday remembered Karua as one person who gave him the golden opportunity to try his luck in politics.
In a statement on his social media handles minutes after a Mombasa High Court ordered the IEBC to clear him to vie, Sonko broke his silence with a video of him interacting with Karua at Wilson Airport on Tuesday.
“I still remember very vividly Mama Martha is the only woman leader who believed in me when I first ventured into politics as Makadara MP. Long live Your Excellency the Iron Lady,” he captioned the video.
In all appearances, the post was a show of gratitude to the Narc Kenya leader for giving him a head start in politics.
Sonko was handed a political lifeline after the court ruled that he had submitted all the requisite documents to the IEBC for clearance.
Sonko made an entry into politics in September 2010, when he joined the race for Makadara parliamentary seat during a by-election.
He vied on Narc Kenya party ticket headed by Karua and won.
It is his flashy lifestyle in parliament that made him a household name in Kenya and a darling of the youths.
His stay in Narc Kenya was, however, short-lived after he was expelled in August 2011.
This is after he allegedly campaigned for Party of National Unity (PNU) candidate – now MP – Yusuf Hassan, instead of campaigning for his party’s candidate, Brian Weke, in the Kamukunji by-election.
He joined the TNA party ahead of 2013 and used its ticket to vie for the Nairobi Senate seat.
He won the polls and served Nairobi for a term and opted to vie for the Governor seat in 2017 on a Jubilee party ticket. He won.
His tenure at City Hall was, however, cut short following an impeachment.
Sonko now aims to bounce back in leadership and is seeking to succeed Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho.
