Editor's Review

Kalonzo expressed confidence that Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance patron Raila Odinga will win the August 9 presidential race.

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has warned IEBC against plans to lock out former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko out of the Mombasa county gubernatorial race.

Speaking on Friday, June 3, when he held his first political rally to drum up support for Raila's presidential bid in Tala Machakos county, the Wiper boss warned that they will not allow IEBC to block Wiper candidate Mike Sonko in the Mombasa county race.

Despite ODM, a constituent party of Azimio la Umoja already having its candidate Abdulswamad Nassir for the race, Kalonzo said Wiper will not back off from the race adding that any decision to block Sonko will prove to them that IEBC does not care about the feelings and choices of Kenyan people.

"I want to teIl EBC or whoever else who cares about the feelings and the choices of Kenyan people that they should not attempt blocking Mike Sonko from becoming the governor of Mombasa," said Kalonzo Musyoka.

{Kalonzo Musyoka addressing Tala residents in Machakos county during his Azimio la Umoja campaigns on Friday. Photo: Courtesy}

At the same time, Kalonzo expressed confidence that Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance patron Raila Odinga will win the August 9 presidential race.

Kalonzo said his Thursday's entry into Azimio sealed Ruto's fate and that the second in command should get prepared to hang his boots once defeated in August.

Kalonzo's sentiments on Sonko come just a day after IEBC announced that all impeached politicians will be barred from contesting in the August General Election. The electoral body, however, excluded those with pending criminal cases before the court.

Making the announcement on Thursday this week, IEBC chairman Mr. Wafula Chebukati said his commission will not spare any politician who has been convicted by the courts or impeached.

"The commission will not stop all those politicians who have integrity issues but have not been convicted by the courts as stated by Article 99 (3) of our laws from vying. The reason why Sirisia MP John Waluke was cleared by the returning officer is that he has an active appeal before the courts. But, based on Article 75 of the constitution, individuals who have been impeached will stay impeached and we shall treat them as such,” communicated Chebukati.

Chebukati's announcement seemed to have effectively sealed the fate of former city boss Mike Sonko, who was seeking the same seat in Mombasa County. The IEBC chair added that the commission will be guided by law rather than the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) report in the ongoing clearance.