This archive report was first published on 19 November 2021.
High Court Judge Said Juma Chitembwe has been at the center of a bribery scandal after a viral video clip was leaked by former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko. The video, which has been widely shared, shows Chitembwe allegedly accepting a bribe from Sonko.
However, in an interview with KTN News on November 17, 2021, Chitembwe denied the allegations, claiming that the videos were edited to frame him.
According to Chitembwe, Sonko was motivated by a desire for revenge after Chitembwe dismissed his petition against Anne Kananu's inauguration as Nairobi governor. Chitembwe explained that Sonko was one of three judges who dismissed the petition, and that Sonko had been seeking to overturn the decision.
Chitembwe also revealed that he and Sonko had a cordial relationship in the past, but that it had changed when Sonko filed the petition. He explained that the videos were taken when he was approached by a client who wanted to purchase land from Sonko, and that he had allowed the client to come to his house with Sonko in order to avoid being defrauded.
Chitembwe denied that he had accepted any money from Sonko, and claimed that the videos were edited to fit a particular narrative. He also revealed that he had known about the existence of the videos in July 2021, and that he had been waiting for them to be released.
