Wiper Party To Challenge IEBC Verdict Barring Sonko From Governor Race

The leader of the Wiper Party, Kalonzo Musyoka, has declared that the party will go to court to oppose the IEBC disputes tribunal’s decision to bar Mike Sonko from running for governor of Mombasa.

The IEBC panel confirmed the Mombasa County Returning Officer’s decision to deny Sonko’s application for the position on Monday, June 20.

The committee subsequently gave Wiper Party 72 hours to identify a qualified replacement for Sonko in the race.

IEBC’s decision to exclude Sonko from the competition has now been characterized by Kalonzo as a political witch hunt and as having double standards.

“We are going to court and we want justice for Sonko. IEBC knows that Sonko has an active appeal in court and these other things they are talking about to do with his papers… They are forgetting they cleared him in 2017,” Kalonzo said while accusing the commission of double standards.

In order to prepare for a court hearing to save Sonko’s political campaign, a team of attorneys is working through the night, according to Kalonzo.

Sonko, for his part, has sworn to continue fighting, but if he runs into a dead end, he would “consult the people for his next step.”

Sonko violated article 75 of the Kenyan constitution by failing to provide both the original and a certified copy of his degree certificate, the IEBC panel was informed.