This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has been released on a Ksh15 million cash bail or a Ksh30 million bond, but with strict conditions.
On December 11, 2019, Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti ruled that Sonko can fetch his personal belongings from City Hall under the supervision of the investigating officer, but is barred from accessing his office.
The magistrate also barred county officials charged alongside Sonko from accessing their offices at the county headquarters in Nairobi's Central Business District.
Ogoti prohibited all parties in the case, including Sonko, his co-accused, the Office of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and the media, from commenting on the case on social media.
"All parties in the case including but not limited to the ODPP, the EACC and the accused are hereby prohibited from commenting on this case on social media in whatsoever manner and that should be taken seriously," ruled the judge.
Sonko has also been directed to deposit his travel documents with the court, and warned against inciting his supporters to violence, which could lead to the cancellation of his bail.
Appearing for Sonko, City Lawyer Cecil Miller asked the court to grant Sonko permission to return to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he is being treated for hypertension, but the request was denied.
