This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
On December 9, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko was charged with corruption-related offenses alongside eight other suspects.
The charges include money laundering, abuse of office, acquisition of proceeds of crime, conflict of interest, and conspiracy to commit an offense of corruption.
The accused persons and companies allegedly benefited from a 357.3 million shillings scandal.
Prosecutors argued that Sonko had on several occasions threatened investigators and releasing him on bail would jeopardize their work.
The prosecution also cited Sonko's history of jumping bail in 1996 and 1998, as well as a pending criminal case in Mombasa County.
Sonko's defense team argued that their client had no record of intimidating witnesses.
The court was asked to bar Sonko and county officials from accessing the office until the graft case is heard and determined.
