• He said that trying to claim the judiciary is under political pressure to rule in one way or the other is laughable.
• "And if at all the President was in control of the judiciary why did the BBI case collapse at the High Court, Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court?" he asked.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko dismissed the claims that he won judicial favours because President Uhuru Kenyatta intervened.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, Sonko said the judiciary is an independent system, which calls for respect.
He added that trying to claim that it is under political pressure to rule in one way or the other is laughable.
"And if at all the President was in control of the judiciary why did the BBI case collapse at the High Court, Court of Appeal and even the Supreme Court?" he asked.
Sonko further denied the claims that Uhuru and the Azimio team at large influenced the court's decision to have him cleared to vie for Mombasa governor, because he campaigned for Nairobi's governor candidate Polycarp Igathe.
"The court had already indicated it would deliver its judgement hours before I met the Azimio bigwigs. Please don’t drag the Judiciary into political squabbles," he said.
Sonko said there was a possibility that the judgement, which was delivered on Wednesday morning, was written before his Tuesday evening’s meeting with Azimio leaders.
He stated "It is worth noting that I joined Azimio before the judgement and those who claim that I got favorable judgement through the influence of Azimio leadership are day dreamers."
On Tuesday, Sonko reunited with Uhuru and the NMS boss Mohammed Badi during the President's development tour in Nairobi.
He thanked Uhuru for the various developments and urged the residents of Nairobi to vote for Igathe.
"To support and thank our President, we have to make sure we vote for Azimio candidates from Governor to MCA."
Speaking on the Court's ruling, Sonko said it was unfair for people to question his favour adding that he has lost a number of cases in the past.
"If I get a judgment in my favour let it be. It's my right as a Kenyan. After all, I have lost several cases in court previously. Why didn’t anyone cry foul then?"
Sonko wondered why other politicians who faced cases and were cleared, did not provoke the same enmity as he did.
"My friend Senator Johnson Sakaja just got a judgement in his favor in a case where his degree was being challenged, Kiambu Senate aspirant Karungo Thangwa was facing a similar case like mine and got a favorable judgement before mine and interestingly, the above cases did not stir similar vitriol against the judiciary," he said.
On Wednesday, the High Court directed the IEBC to accept Sonko's nomination and gazette him.
The three-judge bench of Justices Sewe, Ong'injo', and Githinji ruled that the IEBC acted unreasonably to disqualify Sonko from the race.
"They violated the Constitution and rushed with the announcement," the court ruled.