DPP Haji orders immediate arrest of Governor Sonko over Ksh.357M corruption claims

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DPP) head Noordin Haji has ordered for the arrest and prosecution of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko over corruption allegations.

In a press briefing at his office on Friday, DPP Haji further ordered the arrest of several county employees as well as other persons of interest for receiving monies and unlawful acquisition of public property, money laundering and other economic crimes.

“Following a comprehensive investigation by the EACC and upon receiving and independently reviewing the investigation file I have found sufficient evidence to warrant prosecution and I have therefore ordered for the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko,” said Haji.

DPP Haji further revealed that the Sonko case has been very challenging due to his attempts to interfere with the course of investigations as well as employing intimidation tactics including the use of goons to threaten investigating officers in the case.

“The investigations by EACC uncovered numerous instances of criminal conduct and a general disregard of the law by the governor and othes in charge,” said DPP Haji.

The DPP intimated that investigations blatantly showed that the actions of Governor Sonko and the accused persons put their interests first before the interest of the residents of Nairobi.

“This constitutes a clear and reprehensible abuse of public trust. These individuals being charged chose to break laws, actions which they must be held accountable in order to preserce the public trust,” said DPP Haji.

On September 3, 2019, Sonko was grilled at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over alleged irregularities in garbage collection tenders worth over Ksh.160 million.

The Nairobi Governor Sonko had been summoned by the commission over graft claims in the awarding of tenders in the financial years 2017/2018 and 2018/2019.

This was after a report from the Nairobi County Assembly Public Accounts Committee revealed that Ksh.162 million paid to at least 11 contracted garbage collection firms could not be accounted for.

The report suggested that over Ksh.202 million was paid out to the firms but only Ksh.40 million was regularly spent, hence raising eye brows over the remaining Ksh.162 million.