Nairobi — The Supreme Court has slated former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's bid to review an impeachment verdict by the court for directions on July 25.
Bernard Kasavuli, the Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court, directed the respondents who include the Nairobi County Assembly and 11 others to file and serve their reply and submissions within 7 days upon service.
"The Notice of Motion Application dated 18th day of July 2022 filed online on 18th July 2022 to be served on the respondents forthwith. The respondents do file and serve their reply and submissions within 7 days upon service," Kasavuli said.
Monday's directive came after the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) revoked Sonko's candidature in the Mombasa Gubernatorial race following the Supreme Court ruling that upheld his impeachment as Nairobi Governor.
The decision to revoke his nomination certificate issued just a week earlier was communicated by the commission's Mombasa Returning Officer Swalhah Yusuf.
"In adherence to the Supreme Court judgment, you are, therefore, disqualified from holding any public office and thus disqualified from contesting and being elected as the Governor of Mombasa County or any other county," Yusuf said in the letter dated July 18.
"Your candidature is invalidated, and your certificate revoked," he declared.
On Monday, Sonko filed an appeal at the East African Court of Justice to challenge the decision by the Supreme Court upholding his impeachment.
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The appeal seeking review arose from a decision by a seven-judge bench delivered on Friday, July 15.
Sonko through his lawyers Kenneth Wanyanga and Danstan Omari stated that he was not given a chance to be heard as required by law.
He stated that the highest court in the land did not consider that his impeachment appeal was not responded to.
At the hearing of the review application, Sonko will be asking the court to issue interim orders stopping the execution of the judgement.
He further argued that the Supreme Court did not vacate the order issued by three judges of the High Court sitting in Mombasa that directed the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to include Sonko's name on the ballot
The lawyers said that the Supreme Court issued an order that the matter was supposed to be heard by five judges but the same was heard by seven judges against the court's own order.
