This archive report was first published on 6 December 2019.
Kenya's capital city is on the brink of a leadership crisis following the arrest of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Friday, December 6, at Voi while on his way to Mombasa.
According to sources, Sonko was arrested over graft allegations involving irregular procurement and payment of over KSh 357 million.
Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, an ally of Deputy President William Ruto, has come to Sonko's defence, claiming the arrest is a political witch hunt.
"Governor Sonko enjoys his constitutional right to be presumed innocent till proven guilty. He is my friend and I wish him well as he proves his innocence," Murkomen said in a Twitter post.
"You don't run away from friends. I also know many governors; Mombasa, Machakos, Siaya etc who are protected because they are politically correct," Murkomen added.
Despite his protests, Sonko was handcuffed and airlifted to Nairobi and driven to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption (EACC) headquarters at Upperhill amid tight security.
His office released a statement saying Sonko was ready to face the law and expressed confidence that he was innocent.
"I want to confidently state from the onset that I am more than ready for the lawful course that will help us know the truth," the statement read.
"As your leader, and an elected governor, I believe in total accountability, especially when it comes to management of public resources," the statement added.
The county chief's arrest is most likely to subject the country's capital city into a leadership crisis given he has been serving without a deputy since his fallout with former DG Polycarp Igathe who resigned in January 2018.
However, on Thursday, December 5, Senate under leadership of deputy speaker Kithure Kindiki technically set aside Justice Mumbi's ruling by allowing governors facing graft charges to continue serving their voters albeit away from county offices.
