By Kepher Otieno - Reporter
Kenya, 10 December 2025 - Mike Mbuvi Sonko is a determined, happy and focused man.
Sonko’s unveiling of the National Economic Development Party of Kenya (NEDP) marks the clearest signal yet that the former Nairobi governor is engineering a full political comeback, one rooted in both reinvention and nostalgia for his turbulent rise through Kenyan politics.
His new party, he says, is “a movement that will help form the next government,” a bold declaration from a man whose political career has swung between overwhelming popularity and crippling legal battles.
Sonko’s journey began in the grassroots energy of Nairobi’s informal settlements, where his flamboyant style, populist activism, and highly publicised philanthropy won him a passionate following. His ascent was rapid: from Makadara MP to Senator and then Governor of Nairobi, propelled by an image of accessibility and his self-styled role as a defender of ordinary citizens. For many urban voters frustrated by the political elite, Sonko represented disruption — unconventional, unpredictable, but undeniably effective at capturing public sentiment.
Yet his time in office was defined as much by controversy as charisma. The same dramatic flair that catapulted him to power opened him to criticism of disorderly governance, while his battles with institutions — from the Nairobi County Assembly to national agencies — deepened.
His impeachment in 2020 on grounds of alleged gross misconduct appeared to end his political trajectory.
Court decisions upholding the impeachment further locked him out of elective office, turning Sonko from a political force to an outsider watching from the margins.
But Sonko has never been one to retreat quietly. Even away from official office, he maintained a visible presence through community initiatives, public commentary, and strategic political alliances. His claim that “there is new evidence” that could support a judicial review of his impeachment suggests he sees the legal chapter as far from closed. The launch of his party now provides the organisational backbone for a renewed bid for relevance — and possibly, elective power.
NEDP arrives not as a spontaneous creation but, according to Sonko, as the culmination of years of preparation.
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He says the registration process began in 2019, with its foundations laid well before his impeachment. This narrative offers him a political continuity that counters the impression of a sudden comeback attempt. The party pitches itself as people-centred, economically driven, and strongly inclusive, with Sonko inviting Kenyans “from Gen Z to elders” to join what he frames as a national renewal project.
The interim leadership structure presents a mixture of trusted allies and technocratic figures. Though temporary, these appointments point to a strategy of loyalty blended with professional credibility — an attempt to balance Sonko’s personal political brand with a broader institutional identity. Party elections, promised for a later date, will be an important test of whether NEDP becomes a genuine political organisation or remains synonymous with Sonko himself.
His re-entry comes at a moment of political fluidity nationwide, with realignments beginning ahead of the next general election.
For Sonko, the challenge is two-fold: overcoming the legal cloud that has long hung over him, and proving that his support base — once among the most animated in the country — still exists with the same intensity. Yet his instinct for political theatre, his resilience, and his ability to connect emotionally with sections of the electorate make him a uniquely unpredictable actor in the unfolding landscape.
With launching NEDP, Sonko is not simply returning to politics. He is attempting to redefine it on his own terms.
Whether this marks the revival of a once-dominant force or the last flicker of a political phenomenon will depend on how effectively he can convert personal brand into structured national ambition.
But in staking his claim so publicly, he has ensured that the next phase of Kenyan politics will once again have to account for the unmistakable presence of Mike Sonko.
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