News Break
Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko on 30th July 2022 defected from Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja to Deputy President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition.
“It is with a heavy heart that I come to you this morning. You all know what has been going on and how I have been pushed to the wall trying to do my best for you my people of Mombasa. Time is not on our side and I have had to sit down as a leader…” tweeted Sonko to which the Deputy President replied on Saturday “We welcome Mike Sonko to Kenya Kwanza, the winning team.”
The move comes after the former Nairobi governor said he will not back the ODM candidate Abdulswamad Nassir for the Mombasa governor seat. He demanded that IEBC allows his running mate Ali Mbogo to vie for Mombasa gubernatorial seat now that he had been barred from running.
“It’s not about Sonko. Clear Ali Mbogo and let him be on the ballot, failure to which we shall support Hassan Omar. Take this to the bank,” Sonko said.
Sonko lost his bid to have his name included in ballot papers for the Mombasa gubernatorial race after a three-judge bench dismissed his argument of Sonko that he has an active appeal at the East Africa Court of Justice. The judges agreed with IEBC’s findings that the Supreme Court ruling had found him unfit to hold public office.
Sonko has been promised a cabinet slot in William Ruto’s government should Kenya Kwanza form the next government, two principal secretaries slots and 4 ambassadorial slots..
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