Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will spend two more nights in custody ahead of his bail application verdict on Wednesday. The Governor, who was detained throughout the weekend after his Friday arrest, appeared before chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti, together with other co-accused persons at the Milimani Law Court, over Kshs 357 million graft charges. Sonko along with the other co-accused from the Nairobi County government face charges ranging from conflict of interests, abuse of office, breaking procurement laws among others.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, represented by James Kihara and Gitonga Riungu opposed his release on bail. The DPP said the Governor might interfere with investigations and intimidate witnesses if released. The DPP also noted that Sonko had escaped prison before and that he was charged in the past for failing to appear in court, in 1988, when he failed to appear in court over three case sin Mombasa.
However, Sonko’s legal team, led by lawyer Cecil Miller and includes Senators Kipchumba Murkomen, Mutula Kilonzo Jr, lawyer Nelson Havi among others said he should be granted bail. Lawyer Cecil Miller said he was assaulted by police officers and that he wasn’t escaping arrest and that he was in a better position to do so if it was his intention. “Sonko did not assault police officers, he was the one who was assaulted,” he said, adding that the Governor needs top have a chest CT scan. He further denied the notion that Sonko might use his position to intimidate witnesses if granted bail, and that he hadn’t coerced his County’s CECs to keep them from recording statements during previous graft investigations.