This archive report was first published on 8 September 2019.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has been grilled by detectives at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over allegations of bribery involving Sh20 million.
The investigation centers on two firms, Toddy Civil Engineering Company Limited and Hardi Enterprises Limited, associated with businessman Antony Mwaura.
According to documents in possession of the EACC, the two companies wired a cumulative Sh20 million to Sonko's account between 2015 and 2017.
Sonko has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the money was for land purchases and had nothing to do with bribery allegations.
However, EACC investigators are seeking answers on whether the money wired to Sonko's account in 2017 has any link to the garbage tender awarded to Hardi Limited, a company owned by Mwaura, a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto.
Documents obtained by the EACC show that Sonko started receiving payments from Mwaura in 2015, when he was still a senator.
On December 17 last year, Sh3 million was wired to Sonko's equity account from Toddy Limited company.
Abdi Mohamud, the EACC director in charge of investigations, had written to the Nairobi governor seeking his appearance on the bribery allegations.
The probe was first kickstarted by the Nairobi County Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which questioned the whereabouts of Sh160 million paid to contracted garbage collectors that officials at City Hall's Environment department could not account for.
