Sonko is among many politicians facing graft cases in court.
• He is also at risk of being barred from running after he was impeached in 2020.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
The ghost of Shimo la Tewa prison may scamper former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's bid to become Mombasa governor following a new recommendation that he be arrested and hounded back to complete his jail term.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on Tuesday recommended that Sonko be re-arrested and taken back to Shimo la Tewa GK Prison from where authorities say he escaped in 1997.
EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak lamented in Mombasa on Tuesday that loopholes in election laws were preventing them from successfully barring politicians with integrity issues from vying for public office.
Sonko is among many politicians facing graft cases in court. He is also at risk of being barred from running after he was impeached in 2020.
A case challenging his being barred from running has since been referred to the Chief Justice for formation of a bench for determination.
Eldoret High Court judge Reuben Nyakundi last week barred IEBC from clearing impeached governors from running in August.
Speaking during the fourth International Association of Prosecutors and the East Africa Association of Prosecutors Conference in Mombasa, Mbarak said morally, politicians should not be allowed to vie when they have been impeached.
He, however, regretted that legally, that is not necessarily the case.
“If you want to employ somebody at a bank or a hotel and you are told that person was fired from where they were, will you ask why they have not been jailed and refuse to employ them?” Mbarak asked.
In 2019, Sonko dismissed claims that he escaped from prison. The claims followed a suit by officials from Shimo la Tewa Maximum Prison demanding that Sonko serve his remaining sentence and be charged with escaping from prison.
Mbarak who spoke in the presence of Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji told the DPP to have Sonko re-arrested and taken back to jail.
“There are people who have even escaped prison and there are records to show that, who want public offices. But you still want to elect them. What do you want us to do? Should we go look for them and take them back to jail?” he said.
Prison authorities have previously written to the Inspector General of Police seeking the governor’s arrest and return to jail.