This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On July 1, 2020, a dramatic raid took place at Governor Mike Sonko's private office in Upper Hill, Nairobi County, as police and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers descended upon the premises.
The investigation, which was part of a broader probe into the governor's acquisition of a multi-million property, has raised eyebrows in the city.
According to Governor Sonko's spokesperson, Ben Mulwa, the governor expressed concern over the police presence during the EACC raid, questioning the necessity of such a show of force.
"What we find disturbing is the manner in which they arrived because ordinarily if they are coming to do the valuation of the property, why do they come with a contingent of police officers? If EACC wanted to do valuation, the governor wonders why it is not decent enough for them to send a notice informing him of the same?" Mulwa posed.
At the center of the investigation is a property acquired by Governor Sonko from the Kenya Railways Retirement Benefits Scheme in 2019 for Sh498.5 million. The EACC alleges that the property was undervalued at the time of sale, and that the tendering process for the land was irregular.
