A fresh political row has erupted in Nairobi after Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei accused the Registrar of Political Parties of acting outside the law by approving former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko’s new party.

Speaking on Wednesday, the senator said the approval, issued a day earlier by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP), ignored Kenya’s constitutional standards on integrity in public leadership. “Sonko, Waititu and Gachagua are impeached and therefore do not have locus standi to form or run political parties in Kenya despite the constitutional provision of political freedoms,” he said.

Cherargei argued that while every Kenyan has the right to associate politically, individuals removed from office through impeachment should not be allowed to lead parties. He accused Registrar John Cox of undermining the leadership and integrity provisions of the Constitution. Allowing impeached figures to run political outfits, he claimed, was “illegal, unconstitutional, and corruption of the highest order.”

The senator’s criticism comes as Sonko positions himself for a political comeback ahead of the 2027 elections. The ORPP confirmed that Sonko’s National Economic Development Party (NEDP) met all legal requirements under the Political Parties Act and was therefore eligible for registration. Sonko celebrated the approval on social media, writing that the party was now “fully authorised to field candidates for any elective position in any by-election across the country.”

Sonko is expected to be formally installed as party leader in early 2026, according to those familiar with the party’s plans.

The debate extends beyond Sonko. Former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu has been leading the Farmers Party since February 2025, while former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua launched the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) earlier this year. Both were also impeached during their time in office — a fact Cherargei says disqualifies them from managing political parties. The Constitution does not expressly bar impeached officials from party leadership, leaving the matter open to legal interpretation.

The ORPP has not commented publicly on the senator’s remarks. For now, the dispute highlights a wider national conversation: how far political freedoms should stretch when questions of integrity remain unresolved.