This archive report was first published on 12 December 2019.
December 12, 2019, marked a significant day in the life of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, as he faced corruption charges in court, a development that has left many wondering about his future in politics.
From his early days as a seasoned politician to his current predicament, Sonko's journey has been nothing short of tumultuous.
After ascending to power as Nairobi's governor in 2017, Sonko expressed fears for his life, claiming that some individuals wanted to finish him off. His paranoia led him to vacate his office at City Hall and rent Lilian Towers in Nairobi, a move that cost him Sh1.8 million in just four months.
He also shifted his office to his Mua Home in Machakos County in 2018 and had a total of 26 bodyguards keeping vigil on him after adding his own private guards to the government's four armed police officers.
Not to mention the numerous sacking and reshuffling of his county executive officers whom he suspected of colluding with his rivals.
However, 2019 proved to be the year that Sonko faced the mother of all challenges in his political career, culminating in his dramatic arrest following an arrest warrant issued against him by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Hajji on Friday, December 6, 2019.
Accompanied by six others, Sonko spent the weekend in police custody and two more nights in remand at Kamiti Maximum Prison before being granted bond on Wednesday afternoon.
Throughout the ordeal, Sonko has accused the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) of witch hunt, maintaining that he is clean and casting blame to cartels that want him out as being behind all his political woes.
He even cried publicly to the Head of State, urging him to help him put a stop to cartels causing havoc in his county.
“Lakini rais ile cartel tunaojaribu kudismantle hii Nairobi itafika mahali Mweshimiwa rais uingilie (Mr President, the magnitude of the cartel we're tryung to dismantle, it will reach a time when your intervention will be required. Ile cartel iko hii Nairobi ni kubwa zaidi, nahitaji msaada wako kudismantle. The cartel in Nairobi is so big I need your help to end it,” he pleaded.
Despite being freed on Sh15 million cash bail, Sonko's political future now hangs precariously in the balance, with some political analysts predicting that this heralds the downfall of the county boss, which according to them was long overdue.
However, being the shrewd politician that he is, it is still too early to write him off.
