Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has officially launched the National Economic Development Party of Kenya, marking his latest attempt to return to active politics.
Speaking on Tuesday, December 9, after receiving complete registration from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, Sonko revealed that the journey to establish the party began in 2019, with documents lodged in 2020.
"Today, we are very glad the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties has issued us the full registration of our party, the National Economic Development Party of Kenya. We started this journey in 2019, and then we lodged the documents in these offices in 2020. It has not been an easy journey," Sonko stated.
Sonko announced that Dr. Nyamu, a gynecologist who previously served as director of Pumwani Maternity Hospital during his governorship, will serve as the interim party chairman and party leader.
"Dr Nyamu is a known gynecologist. He used to be my director at Pumwani Hospital during my term as the governor of Nairobi," Sonko explained.
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The party's Secretary General is Ben Mulwa, who formerly worked as Sonko's personal assistant. Other key positions include Madam Masai, the Kemu president, who will serve as deputy party leader, Mr. Nyara, and Vice Chair Dr. Rashid.
Sonko emphasized that the current leadership is interim, noting that the party will submit its constitution and conduct democratic elections through delegates and citizens to choose permanent leaders.
When questioned about his political aspirations and eligibility to run for office, Sonko acknowledged his impeachment but argued that he retains the right to contest elections.
"I'm very sure you're all aware that I lost all my appeals. The court all the way from the High Court, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court. I'm admitting that I lost," he conceded.
However, the former governor insisted that his legal options have not been exhausted, citing Article 193 sub-Article 3 of the Constitution, which he argues requires candidates to exhaust both appeals and reviews before being disqualified.
"I agree. I've exhausted my appeals. I've not exhausted my reviews. I have new evidence that has come. The mover of my impeachment said he was intimidated to lie about me," Sonko claimed.
He revealed that fresh evidence has emerged, including claims that individuals who testified against him were coerced. According to Sonko, the Senate has been informed of these developments and has written to the Supreme Court regarding withdrawn affidavits.
"The Senate also wrote a letter to the Supreme Court. They have withdrawn all the earlier deductive affidavits about me. So I've not exhausted my reviews. I've got very good, fresh grounds for review," he stated.
Sonko argued that the constitutional provision allows candidates to appear on the ballot if they are pursuing a review in court.
Sonko's political career has been marked by controversy since his removal from office.
On December 17, 2020, he was impeached by the Nairobi Senate following proceedings initiated by the Nairobi County Assembly, effectively removing him from the governor's position.
Since his impeachment, Sonko has maintained a relatively low profile in political circles.
In 2022, he attempted to run for Mombasa governor under the Wiper party ticket and was initially cleared by the High Court in July of that year.
However, his candidacy was subsequently revoked by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) after the Supreme Court upheld his impeachment as Nairobi Governor, preventing him from contesting the seat.
