Sonko Calls on JSC to Act on Long-Pending Petition Against Chief Justice Koome

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has demanded action from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) over a petition he lodged more than three years ago seeking the removal of Chief Justice Martha Koome.

In a letter dated 24 November 2025, Sonko criticised what he described as the Commission’s “inexplicable silence,” noting that it has neither issued any communication nor scheduled a hearing since receiving his complaint in July 2022. The petition centres on allegations of bias, misconduct, and violations of the constitution in the handling of his Supreme Court appeal following his impeachment by the Senate.

Sonko claims the apex court’s decision to uphold his impeachment and bar him from contesting the Mombasa governorship in 2022 was conducted through a rushed and unfair process that denied him sufficient time to present his case. He further alleges that Chief Justice Koome compromised judicial neutrality by making public remarks that suggested she had already formed an opinion on his appeal, refusing to recuse herself despite alleged conflicts of interest, and issuing administrative directions that he argues disadvantaged his legal team.

Documents exchanged between Sonko’s lawyers and the Supreme Court indicate procedural irregularities. On 12 July 2022, the Registrar acknowledged an “inadvertent mistake” in issuing incomplete directions and apologised. Yet the following day, the court summoned Sonko for a hearing with less than 24 hours’ notice, while his team was still handling proceedings in Mombasa where a High Court had cleared him to run for office. 

Sonko contends the hurried scheduling was intended to predetermine the outcome of his case. After the Supreme Court ruling, Sonko approached the East African Court of Justice (EACJ), which criticised the Kenyan judiciary for procedural flaws. Although the EACJ did not overturn the Supreme Court’s decision, it found that the process violated Sonko’s right to a fair trial and contravened principles of justice and good governance under the East African Community Treaty. 

The court also noted that permanently barring Sonko from public office caused irreparable harm and required a process conducted with unimpeachable fairness.

Sonko is now pressing the JSC to clarify whether his petition has been dismissed, shelved, or is awaiting deliberation.