Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has blasted Chief Justice Martha Koome for ‘unfair’ Supreme Court ruling that upheld his impeachment.
Sonko faulted the CJ for being part of the bench that delivered the judgment Friday despite having announced her stand on the case.
"Koome was heard clearly saying that I will not be on the ballot. We had written and we wanted her to recuse from the bench, but shock on us she was among the judges," he said.
On Friday, the Supreme Court upheld decisions by the High Court and Court of Appeal, affirming Sonko's impeachment.
In the ruling, the apex court agreed with the decisions of the lower courts upholding his removal from office by the Senate.
The seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome cited seven reasons for their decision including that Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity was not enacted for cosmetic purposes.
The law states that an individual who has been removed from office for contravening the law can no longer hold public officer.
The ruling basically dealt a blow to Sonko's political career.
During an interview on Spice FM in May, Koome said individuals who have been convicted in court or impeached from public office are ineligible to hold public office unless the verdicts are overturned.
She argued that filing an appeal to reverse a sentence or an impeachment did not mean the verdict was set aside.
"You remain impeached until that impeachment is lifted. When you are sentenced, you are sentenced until the sentence is set aside," Koome said.
In Sonko's view, the CJ should have recused herself from the seven-judge bench since she already had a stand on the matter.
“I really like Koome and I value her a lot but she should have recused herself from the hearing,” he affirmed.
When asked if President Uhuru Kenyatta had a hand in his ‘downfall’, Sonko said he had no bad blood with the president, stating that there are no permanent enemies in politics.
Sonko nonetheless remained optimistic saying he is and will be on the ballot for the Mombasa gubernatorial race arguing that the electorate have a right to elect the leaders they want.
“Like I said before we will never give up on our quest to liberate the great people of Mombasa City from the yolk of poor leadership and under development.
“Despite the many challenges I’m facing, my running mate and I are still determined to bring change in Mombasa and offer leadership that will cater for the interests of our people,” Sonko said.
When asked what he has for Mombasa people, Sonko said good leadership is what he values. He said he will be launching his Mashinani tour to seek for votes.
“Our intention to save lives of people who have been oppressed for a long time is unstoppable. We are for people and people are for us. This is a united force. We shall knock on doors for your votes. Let’s roll our sleeves and get ready.” Sonko added.
