NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 4 – Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is on Thursday set to know his fate on whether he will be released or not.
Two court sessions are set to issue verdicts on his fate with the first being in Kiambu where he was expecting a determination of his bail application in 12 charges of assault and robbery he is facing.
Sonko was on Tuesday charged with assault and robbery with violence, in offenses which he committed in 2019.
Sonko however denied a total of 12 counts and was remanded at the Gigiri Police Station after the prosecution pleaded with the court to allow detectives more time to complete their investigations, an indication he could face more charges.
Sonko’s woes deepened on Wednesday when he was produced before a Kahawa West law court in Kamiti prisons where he faced terror-related charges.
An affidavit filed in court indicated that Sonko is under investigation for arming a militia group.
“I have intelligence information that the suspect is connected to financing of terrorism activities and he is in the advance stage of procuring arms and ammunition using a wide syndicate which is complex ad sophisticated,” an affidavit filed in court by a Chief Inspector Newton Thimangu of the Anti Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU), an arm of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) states in part.
He also indicated that Sonko had “started arming his private security agents with full military attire namely military boots, military jungle uniforms and firearms. The suspect who was in company of unknown person had worn militia attire and together with the suspect they were both spotted in public in full glare of the media and in front of huge mass of people in a public rally.”
An undated photograph of Sonko and an unknown person was attached to the affidavit.
The prosecution asked the court to grant the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) 30 days to complete their investigation.
Charges read out to him on Tuesday stated that he assaulted two people in Buru Buru in 2019, leaving them with serious injuries.
The charges included assault, causing actual bodily harm, robbery with violence and destruction of property.
He also faced an additional charge of entering private property without permission or a search warrant.
His case was heard by Kiambu Senior Principal Magistrate Stellah Atambo who ordered he be remanded at the Gigiri Police Station.
The prosecution has indicated that it intends to apply to have the former Governor taken to Mombasa where a warrant of arrest against him is pending.
Sonko was impeached in November over gross misconduct, abuse of office and corruption.
He is also facing corruption charges in court alongside several county officials and suppliers accused of colluding to siphon public funds.
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