A network of powerful cartels in the corridors of justice is said to be frantically pushing for the return of former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko. In the scheme are judges, lawyers and politicians. This happens amidst fierce escalation of supremacy war between the executive and some individuals within the judiciary perceived to be bitter with Uhuru Kenyatta and who have consequently opted to team up with William Ruto, who pulls strings behind the scenes.
The mafias believed to have fully infiltrated the judiciary ostensibly played a major role in latest court drama that saw Sonko secure orders from the Supreme Court barring the swearing-in of acting governor Anne Kananu. Weekly Citizen has information that Sonko is likely to be sneaked back to his former seat through a ruling that is coming in November in which he wants the appellate court to overturn the High Court decision and declare that he was illegally impeached.
Understandably, the idea to block Kananu’s swearing-in which came as a shocker was a result of high level consultation among the cartels, aware that Sonko stood no chance of getting back his job in the event that the deputy governor was sworn in as governor.
Failure to stop the swearing-in meant that even if Sonko was to get a favourable ruling in November, the verdict would have nothing to do with Kananu’s job. Sonko will then be governor and Kananu deputy. Constitutionally, a governor once sworn in office can only be removed through impeachment, death or through resignation. It is also against this background that the deep state and Kananu were upbeat of conducting an early morning swearing-in ceremony but which was rudely blocked.
To demonstrate how powerful individuals within the judiciary are the ones directing actions in Sonko’s case, the former governor was not moved by a decision to dismiss his appeal but instead casually went on his Facebook and confidently told his supporters to keep calm and wait for November when a petition challenging his removal will be heard in the Court. The orders barring the swearing-in of Kananu were issued by Supreme Court’s Justice Mohammed Ibrahim who certified Sonko’s application as urgent.
It is imperative to note that Ibrahim has close links with lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi who is a staunch ally of the deputy president. Also said to be part of the wider game plan to bring back Sonko is the Deputy Chief Justice and vice president of the Supreme Court Lady Justice Philomena Mwilu. Mwilu is bitter following the deep state’s power games that locked her out of the position of the Chief Justice currently held by Martha Koome. Apparently, the deputy chief justice feels that she is being frustrated and targeted by the state following her unending misfortunes as far as her professional life is concerned.
In her compounding tribulations, the office of the DPP is on record stating that it is confident of winning the graft and abuse of office case against the troubled DCJ. The DPP’s office has threatened to release the dossier which would seemingly secure Mwilu’s conviction. Shockingly, the Judicial Service Commission led by Chief Justice Koome cited that it had evidence on how the DCJ allegedly transacted over Sh20 million at the Supreme Court parking lot, her office building and her Kilimani home .
In a more dramatic development, former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga is the last to join the fray by telling judges to go on strike over the government’s failure to obey court orders. Mutunga’s appointment was linked to Ahamednassir then JSC member. The remarks did not go down well with Uhuru and CJ Koome who could not fathom how Mutunga was inciting judges to down their tools, given he served as the country’s CJ who should be aware of the fact that implications of calling for a judicial strike are far-reaching.
And as was widely expected, the Law Society of Kenya president Nelson Havi joined the war by defending Mutunga. According to Havi, the CJ should not have responded to Mutunga because it is common sense that judges cannot go on strike. Havi in his usual manner attacked Koome stating that ‘she lacks emotional intelligence and she needed not to respond to retired CJ’s call for judges to go on strike.
Back to Sonko troubles, Ruto considered the former Nairobi governor as an asset in his plot to control Nairobi politics ahead of his 2022 presidential ambitions. The camp’s fear being, that they do not have a formidable person in Nairobi politics to counter Uhuru and Raila Odinga. To them, if Sonko returns to city politics, it will be a big win for them as city politics gives direction to national politics. As per current city politics setup, UDA has no serious point-men forcing party schemers to count on former governor return.
Philomena MwiluIt is against this background that Ruto openly sided with the controversial former governor and previously made attempts to have the graft charges against him dropped. The battle to control Nairobi was among the many wars that rocked Jubilee in the early days with allies of Ruto opposing the takeover of Nairobi county functions to the government. There was drama in the senate when the then majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen who was supposed to promote the government’s position of kicking out Sonko, claimed that the Sonko-Uhuru deal regarding the takeover of county government functions to the national government was illegal.
Murkomen who is a staunch Ruto man claimed that the arrangement would leave Nairobi a shell of a county and further cited lack of participation, non-involvement of the county assembly and the senate as among reasons the deal was unconstitutional. However, keen observers were quick to state that Ruto’s lamentations over Sonko’s trouble were not pegged on sincere concerns but were informed by fears that a great mobiliser for Nairobi votes in the hustler team was being crushed ahead of the 2022 mission.
Martha KoomeBut now the DP is said to be actively engaged in behind-the-scenes powerful games that are likely to see the return of Sonko at the helm of City Hall. All eyes are on the Court of Appeal president Justice Musinga who is expected to pick a three bench judges to rule on the matter that is coming up in November. Already there are growing fears of plan to pick two other perceived friendly judges.
Documents detailing court communications in our possession highlights that the appeal which is seen as a do-or-die for Sonko and by extension Ruto and his hustler nation is scheduled for November 22. The appeal will be heard at 9am by a three-judge bench constituted by Musinga. The appeal will be heard by way of the meeting videolink connected to the court and counsel on record due to the current pandemic. The applicants have been directed to file and serve online written submissions limited to 12 pages only and any other relevant documents. In the communication, the respondents equally had 14 days from October 6 to file and serve online written submission limited to 12 pages and any other relevant documents.
If two of the three bench judge rule in favour of Sonko, then he will be back at City Hall. Remember, already Supreme Court ruled the stopping of acting governor from being sworn in. The Supreme Court’s move clearly punctures holes in legality of Kananu being in office.
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