Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has skipped the ship and joined Deputy President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance barely three months after joining Wiper Democratic Movement as a life member.
Mr Sonko, who has been engaged in numerous court battles in a bid to be cleared to vie for Mombasa governorship position, met Deputy President William Ruto on Saturday morning at his residence in Karen.
Mr Sonko had earlier announced he would support United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party candidate Hassan Omar for the governor race. He said should his petitions be disallowed again and his running mate Ali Mbogo not cleared to run, he would shift his support to Mr Omar.
Sonko ditches Raila, joins Ruto team
This comes barely two days after a three-judge bench of the High Court dismissed his applications seeking to quash revocation of his clearance for the Mombasa gubernatorial race.
The Interim Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has already cleared, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir (ODM), Mr Omar (UDA), Daniel Kitsao (independent), Shafii Makazi (Upia), Said Abdhalla (Usawa Kwa Wote), former Nyali MP Mr Hezron Awiti (VDP), and Mombasa Deputy Governor William Kingi (PAA).
DP Ruto made the announcement on his social media pages and welcomed the former Nairobi governor to his camp.
A few weeks ago, Mr Sonko had also met President Uhuru Kenyatta and joined him in a series of rallies around Nairobi.
During the rallies, Sonko would be seen rallying Nairobi residents to support Azimio One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his running mate Martha Karua.
Sonko announced on his social media accounts that he had joined the Kenya Kwanza Coalition on a condition of being offered numerous job positions both in the National government and the county governments of Mombasa should the Kenya Kwanza team win the governorship of both counties.
He also posted documents showing his agreement with Deputy President William Ruto's United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party.
In the agreement documents, Sonko was offered one cabinet secretary position and three permanent secretary positions and four ambassadorial positions in the national government.
On Friday, when announcing that he would support Mr Omar for the governor race, Mr Sonko cited frustrations by powerful individuals to stop his bid.
“I was impeached as Sonko and not my running mate Mr Ali Mbogo who is the Kisauni MP. Allow him to be on the ballot because he is innocent, or else I will support Mr Omar. It is not the end of the road for me, Mr Mbogo, Mombasa people, my party leader Kalonzo Musyoka or Wiper,” he said.
Mr Sonko said his meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta or Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Mr Raila Odinga a few days ago was not meant to “politically sanitise” him.
“I want justice to take its course. The system wants to fix me. Don’t crucify my people. Mr Odinga was the best presidential candidate, but I know what has transpired,” he said, refusing to name who the system is.
“We are both focused to dethrone [sic] Governor Hassan Joho and the corruption that is besieging this county to ensure Mombasa gets the development it deserves,” said Mr Omar during a recent press conference at UDA headquarters in Nyali.
