Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has insisted former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will be on the ballot as he has not exhausted all his appeal avenues.
Mr Musyoka said Mombasa should prepare for an intensive campaign after a three-judge bench to be formed by Chief Justice Martha Koome to determine his case was likely to rule in his favour.
Despite major legal battles, Mr Musyoka said the party would stick with Mr Sonko in the Mombasa race and that Wiper had no agreement on zoning in the major towns.
“We still have interest to succeed Governor Hassan Joho and we hope the three-judge bench will give Wiper a chance to field a candidate who will still be Mr Sonko,” said Mr Musyoka at Fairdeal Furnitures boss Mohamed Zakir’s daughter's wedding in Mombasa.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) had barred Mr Sonko from vying for the Mombasa governor seat following his impeachment in 2018. He moved to the IEBC Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC), which upheld the decision.
The IEBC gave Wiper 72 hours to replace the former Nairobi governor but the party opted not to nominate another candidate and instead moved to the Court of Appeal.
Last week, the court asked CJ Koome to form a three-judge bench to hear and determine Mr Sonko’s appeal.
Already, seven candidates have been cleared for the Mombasa governor race — Daniel Kitsao (Independent), Hassan Omar (UDA), William Kingi (PAA), Hezron Awiti (VDP), Abdulswamad Nassir (ODM) and Shafii Makazi (UPIA).
Despite the seven being cleared, Mombasa is experiencing low political activity just a few weeks to the August elections. The electoral commission’s move to block Mr Sonko from contesting and the decision by businessman Suleiman Shahbal to step down from the race in favour of Mr Nassir seems to have slowed down the campaigns in Mombasa.
Mr Omar and Mr Nassir, who are regarded as the front runners, have opted for door-to-door campaigns and meetings with special groups.
Mr Sonko’s running mate Ali Mbogo, who is also the Kisauni MP, is optimistic that the court will rule in their favour.
“My development record speaks for itself. I have built seven schools in Kisauni whereas my opponent, Abdulswamad Nassir, has nothing to show for the 10 years he has served as MP,” he said.
“I know some people love Mr Nassir but don’t vote based on emotions but look at development records,” he said.
For his part, Mr Nassir dismissed claims that he was Mr Joho’s project. “I am sure I will win and succeed Mr Joho because my projects as Mvita MP tell more about my management skills,” he said.
For his part, Mr Omar said he would ensure the 1.9 million Coast voters reject the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance presidential candidate Raila Odinga.
He said UDA would educate Coast voters on why they should elect Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto, whose manifesto he said is pegged on reviving the regional economy.
