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Nairobi Governor Ann Kananu/FILE/COURTESY

County News

Governor Kananu secures gag orders against Sonko

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 26 – The Magistrate’s Court has temporarily blocked former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from publishing any leaked audio or video recordings related to his successor Ann Kananu until an application she filed in court is heard and determined.

The court decision comes after Kananu sued Sonko and a co-defendant identified in court as Thuru Nkatha for defamation.

On Friday, Chief Magistrate Heston Nyaga also barred the former governor and Nkatha from publishing or sharing any words or statements that are defamatory and/or disparaging in any way to Kananu.

“THAT pending the interparties hearing and determination of this application, the Respondents by themselves are hereby restrained by an order of temporary injunction from further writing, printing, publishing, circulating, disseminating or causing to be written, printed, published, circulated, disseminated in any manner whatsoever (electronically or on online platforms) any, audio and/or video recordings, words and statements that are defamatory and/or disparaging in any manner whatsoever to the Applicant,” the court determined.

The case is slated for interparty hearing on December 3.

Nyaga warned that failure by Sonko to adhere to the court’s directive would attract undisclosed consequences.

“TAKE NOTICE that any disobedience or non-observance of the order of the court on the 26 day of November, 2021 served herewith will result in penal consequences to you and any other person(s) so disobeying and not observing the same,” the magistrate said.

“AND FURTHER that if this order is not obeyed, an application shall be made citing you and any other such person(s) so disobeying for contempt of court seeking therein your detention and other punishment for you and such person(s)together with any remedy available in law,” the court further outlined.

The injunction came just a day after the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) summoned Sonko to testify as a witness in connection with videos he posted accusing High Court Judge Said Chitembwe of corruption.

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Sonko is first required to appear in person at the commission to write a statement ahead of December 14 when he will testify.

“This is, therefore, to notify you, pursuant to the provisions of Article 252 (3)(b) of the Constitution and Section 42 Part VIII of the Judicial Service Act No. 1 of 2011, that the JSC will require your personal attendance to testify as a witness in the aforesaid matter which will proceed for the oral hearing on Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 9.00 am at the JSC Offices at Re-Insurance Plaza Building Podium Floor, Taifa Road,” JSC’s Secretary Anne Amadi said in a letter to Sonko dated November 25.

Sonko has been unleashing videos implicating the judge to graft.

Several petitions have been filed with JSC, including by Sonko’s aide Francis Wambua who wants the judge’s conduct investigated.

In his petition, Wambua said the judge should be investigated claiming he received bribes to influence the outcome of cases touching on Sonko.

“That the learned Judge used his office as if it was an enterprise and the receipt of bribes by him enabled him to package judgments specifically for the bribers and this is against the spirit of the Constitution and the law,” the petitioner asserted.

He alleged that the bribes were channeled through the judge’s brother Amana Saidi Jirani.

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