This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
On December 13, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was barred from his office by a court order, but he's refusing to acknowledge the impact of the decision.
According to Sonko, there's no leadership vacuum at the county government, and he's still in charge. He claims that the court's decision only affects his physical presence at City Hall, not his duties as governor.
“Why are you guys writing about a crisis at City Hall? There is one thing you journalists do not understand; that this is pure politics. The magistrate only said he was pronouncing himself on the corruption issue and not on the governor stepping aside,” Sonko said.
His lawyer, George Kithi, echoed Sonko's sentiments, stating that the governor can still perform his duties, except those that require him to be physically present at City Hall.
However, Kithi noted that Sonko needs to seek permission from the court to access his office and be accompanied by an investigating officer.
On December 6, 2019, Sonko was arrested and charged with several counts of corruption, along with 12 others. He was later released on Sh15 million bail.
