IEBC clears Sonko to run for Mombasa governor

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has cleared former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko to vie for the position of Mombasa Governor.

The move was reached following yesterday's High Court judgment, that ordered the commission to clear Sonko to vie for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat.

The three-judge bench quashed IEBC's earlier decision to bar Sonko from vying for the Mombasa Governor seat on grounds that he had been impeached from office.

"IEBC's move to bar Sonko and failure to clear him was biased since he has an active appeal pending at the Supreme Court and has not exhausted his options for contesting his impeachment.," the bench ruled.

Sonko appeared before the Mombasa Returning Officer Swalha Ibrahim at the IEBC headquarters this evening and was handed the nomination certificate after submitting his documents.

In a letter, Mombasa Returning Officer Swalha Ibrahim said the IEBC would abide by the decision of the court directing it to accept his nomination papers.