Nairobi Governor Sonko Arrested over Sh300 Million Graft Claims

Detectives from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko over graft allegations.

Sonko was arrested in Voi, Taita Taveta County on Friday morning, a few hours after Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji ordered his arrest in connection with irregular procurement and payments amounting to Sh357 million.

Haji, who said they have sufficient evidence that Sonko benefitted from the irregular payments, said the Governor will face among other charges, willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement, conflict of interest, abuse of office, unlawful acquisition of public property, money laundering and acquisition of proceeds of crime.

He will be arraigned alongside senior City Hall officials, private and business entities accused of receiving illegal funds from the County government. They include County Secretary Peter Mbugua, and members of the tender committee Patrick Mwangangi, Samuel Ndung’u, Edwin Kariuki, Lawrence Mwangi, Preston Miriti among others.

 “The investigations by EACC uncovered numerous instances of criminal conduct and a general disregard of the law by the governor and others in charge,” said DPP Haji in a press briefing on Friday.

In a statement on Twitter, EACC said Governor Sonko was nabbed by detectives at a roadblock in Voi while trying to escape arrest. He was reportedly traveling to Mombasa and was airlifted to Nairobi ahead of tarraignment.

“EACC confirms that Nairobi City County Governor Mike Sonko Mbuvi has been arrested while escaping arrest at a roadblock in Voi and is being transferred to Nairobi to face charges of corruption and economic crime,” read the tweet from EACC.