The High Court has restrained the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) from processing ousted Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko's nomination papers to contest for the Mombasa gubernatorial seat. 

Issuing the order, Justice John Mativo of the Mombasa High Court,  further restrained the IEBC from clearing Sonko for the upcoming elections. 

The orders come pending the hearing and determination of applications by three civil society organizations that filed a petition seeking to have the former Nairobi governor disqualified from the gubernatorial race.

The three, Haki Yetu, Kituo Cha Sheria, and Transparency International argued that the electoral body was likely to approve and clear Sonko from contesting therefore such orders were needed.

"The election calendar is time-bound and there is a likelihood that if the interim order is not granted and this case dealt with expeditiously, IEBC is likely to clear Mr. Sonko and have his name on the ballot paper for election into the office of the Governor Mombasa on August 9, "they argued.

The trio who also sued the Wiper party and the IEBC, further argued that Mr. Sonko was unsuitable to hold any state office since he was impeached for violating the constitution and failing to promote public confidence, among others.

Ms. Munira Ali, a programmes officer at Haki Yetu also noted that Sonko and Wiper will have converted Mombasa County into a dumping ground for rejected leaders.

Similarly, two other petitioners based in Eldoret and Mombasa also filed a petition seeking the disqualification of Mr. Sonko.

In the petitions, the two argued that despite being disqualified by Article 75(3) of the constitution, which states that a person who has been dismissed or otherwise removed from office for a contravention of the provisions specified in clause should not hold any state office, Sonko still expressed his interest for the Mombasa governors seat.

They argued that Wipers decision to front him as their candidate also violated the constitution.