This archive report was first published on 19 December 2019.
On December 18, 2019, Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko was a no-show at the Voi Law Courts, where his assault case was scheduled to be mentioned.
According to Sonko's lawyers, the governor was unwell and recuperating at home on doctors' orders, suffering from hypertension and chest pain.
A doctor's report presented in court indicated that Sonko had been diagnosed with hypertensive urgency, soft tissue injury to the left chest wall, and bilateral hip osteoarthritis.
Lawyer George Kithi told the court that Sonko was on bed rest with close blood pressure monitoring.
Senior Resident Magistrate Frederick Mayaka Nyakundi directed that Sonko be arraigned on January 21, 2020, and ordered the governor to present himself at the DCI headquarters in Voi before appearing in court.
Sonko's lawyers assured the court that their client would adhere to the directives.
The governor is facing charges of assault, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct, stemming from an incident on December 6, 2019, in which he allegedly assaulted Coast Regional Police Commander Rashid Yakub and insulted other officers during his dramatic arrest.
