Mike Sonko walked out of Lion Place in Westlands this Tuesday with a certificate in hand, a grin on his face, and a message that reverberated across Nairobi’s political grapevine: he is not done yet.

For a man whose political career was declared dead and buried by the Supreme Court in 2022, the launch of the National Economic Development Party (NEDP) feels less like a post-retirement hobby and more like a calculated siege on the 2027 General Election. But with the constitutional padlock of impeachment still firmly in place, the question on every Kenyan’s mind is simple: Is this a masterstroke or a mirage?

The Legal Hail Mary

Sonko’s return hinges on a complex legal needle he intends to thread. While Article 75 of the Constitution bars impeached officials from holding public office, the former Governor is banking on a specific clause in Article 193: disqualification only holds if all avenues of appeal and review are exhausted.

His strategy rests on two pillars:

• The EACJ Lifeline: The East African Court of Justice recently faulted the process of his removal, terming it illegal—a ruling Sonko argues invalidates the domestic verdict.
• New Evidence: Sonko claims to possess sworn affidavits from Nairobi MCAs who now allege they were coerced by "powerful state forces" to vote for his ouster in December 2020.

“In just 24 hours, the Supreme Court buried my political career, but it’s not yet over,” Sonko told reporters, signaling an imminent return to the apex court for a review. Legal analysts, however, remain skeptical. Reopening a Supreme Court judgment is a rare feat, reserved for cases where a miscarriage of justice is glaring and indisputable.

Pivoting to Gen Z

Perhaps the most striking aspect of Sonko’s comeback is his new target demographic. The NEDP lineup is a deliberate nod to the youth vote. His deputies include Anthony Manyara, a former student leader, and Naomi Chebet Masai from Kenya Methodist University.

By surrounding himself with student leadership, Sonko is attempting to tap into the restless energy of Gen Z—a voting bloc that has grown increasingly disillusioned with the status quo. It is a classic populist play: positioning himself as the outsider fighting a rigged system, a narrative that served him well during his meteoric rise from Makadara MP to Governor.

The Nairobi Context

For the average Nairobian, Sonko’s tenure is a memory of extremes—gold chains and garbage piles, the Sonko Rescue Team’s ambulances weaving through traffic, and the chaotic boardroom wars that eventually led to the NMS takeover.

Yet, in the informal settlements where the cost of living bites hardest, his brand of philanthropy still holds currency. With the price of unga hovering around KES 200 and rent skyrocketing, the promise of a leader who “puts money in the pocket” (however unsustainable) remains seductive.

“We welcome everyone from Gen Z to elders,” Sonko declared. “This is the party to watch.” Whether NEDP becomes a formidable third force or remains a vanity project depends entirely on the courts. But one thing is certain: in the theatre of Kenyan politics, Mike Sonko refuses to leave the stage.