This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
On December 6, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was arrested by Chief Prosecutor Noordin Haji on charges of economic crimes.
According to Haji, Sonko and other county officials are accused of unlawful acquisition of public property, money laundering, and other economic crimes.
They are expected to appear before the anti-corruption court to face charges over the loss of Ksh357 million ($3.5 million).
Other officials expected in court include county secretary Peter Mbugua, members of the tender committee, and directors of various companies contracted by the county government.
Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had yielded sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.
Since his election in 2017, Sonko has chosen to operate from his rural home in Machakos, 60 kilometres southeast of Nairobi.
He is beloved by poor Kenyans for running his personally branded fire trucks and ambulances to assist people living in the slums.
