Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will on Wednesday know whether or not his name will be on the ballot for the Mombasa governor contest.
A three-judge bench- Olga Sewe, Ann Ong'injo' and Stephen Githinji- hearing the petition filed by Sonko against Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has retreated to prepare their ruling.
The ruling had been set for Friday this week but was moved to Wednesday.
“Take notice that the matter which was slated for the judgement on 15th of July, 2022 has been rescheduled to Wednesday, 13th July 2022 at 10:00 am in an open court,” reads notice by the deputy registrar at Mombasa High court.
The judgement was to be delivered last week but the judges said they would need more time to go through all the submissions tabled by lawyers representing Sonko, IEBC, and Wiper.
On Wednesday evening, lawyers representing Sonko and Wiper argued that the IEBC Disputes Resolutions Committee erred by disqualifying the former governor from vying.
They pleaded with the judges to allow Sonko to vie, even as the legal counsel of IEBC and DRC fought back to prove the former Nairobi governor is not qualified to run for the seat.
Sonko's legal team was led by Wilfred Nyamu, while IEBC and the Mombasa county returning officer were represented by Edwin Mukele.
Eunice Lumallas led the Wiper Democratic Movement's legal front.
This week on Tuesday, Sonko said he is optimistic the High Court in Mombasa will rule in his favour.
“I will continue fighting in line with the law. I am not a person who gives up easily,” he said at the Amina Abdalla Rehabilitation centre for mental illness in Mombasa.
He had earlier had a huge relief after High Court sitting in Mombasa stopped the IEBC from printing ballot papers for the governor’s race.
Sonko also got lucky when the court stopped Wiper from replacing him as its candidate for the Mombasa governor’s seat. Wiper wanted Sonko to be Ali Mbogo’s running mate.
His name was left out last week when the IEBC gazetted candidates cleared to contest for various elective seats in the 2022 General Election.
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