This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On December 11, 2019, Nairobi Governor Sonko was granted Ksh. 15 million cash bail after spending five days in police custody.
Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti ruled that the Governor must deposit Ksh. 30 million bond and cannot access his county office at City Hall.
The order also applies to county officials who are Sonko's co-accused.
Magistrate Ogoti said that if there is a need for the accused to access the offices, they should be escorted by investigating officers.
On the issue of Nairobi having no Deputy Governor, Ogoti said, 'I leave the issue of deputy governor at that since this court has no powers to handle that as it was argued by the defense.'
Sonko was also ordered to refrain from commenting on the case on social media and to deposit his passport and other travel documents in court.
After the Magistrate finished reading his ruling, one of Sonko's lawyers, Cecil Miller, sought to have him returned to Kenyatta National Hospital due to his hypertension.
Magistrate Ogoti responded to the lawyers' concerns, saying, 'Your fear was unfounded to bring the accused to court room sick since there is an order from a Machakos court that absence of an accused persons doesn't not interfere with bail issuing to co-accused persons.'
