This archive report was first published on 11 August 2019.
On Wednesday night, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko appeared on Citizen TV's JKLive, a show hosted by Jeff Koinange. The interview was expected to be a lively discussion, especially following the Madaraka Day saga between Sonko and County Woman Rep Esther Passaris.
However, things took a dramatic turn when Sonko began to defend himself against Passaris' allegations. According to Sonko, Passaris was under instructions from a senior officer in the office of the president to attack him in public, and she was paid to do so.
‘She (Esther Passaris) was under instructions from a senior officer in the office of the president to attack me in public… she was paid. Passaris is misleading Kenyans; I do pick her calls. She made allegations against me and I had a right to reply,’ said Sonko.
As the interview continued, Sonko became increasingly agitated, producing documents, text messages, and audio recordings to support his claims. However, the show's director, Monica Kiragu, was opposed to Sonko's conduct on live TV and forced the show to a break.
After a lengthy break, the three, Sonko, Jeff, and Monica, could not agree, and the show was brought to a halt. This is not the first time things have gotten out of hand for Jeff, especially on topics related to Passaris.
On November 16, 2016, while at KTN, lawyer Miguna Miguna was recorded slandering Passaris live on air, saying that she was after men. The incidence led to Jeff's dismissal from the station, before he got a soft landing at Citizen TV.
Sonko promised to revisit the issue in Passaris' presence on the show, urging the TV to invite both of them if possible.
