Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio sworn at the Anti-corruption Court Milimani, in the Sh20m graft case against Mike Sonko.
A senior police officer has revealed explosive details of a sting operation involving former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko and JamboPay (Webtribe Ltd) boss Danson Muchemi, alleging an attempted multimillion-shilling bribe to influence a county tender.
Testifying at the Anti-Corruption Court yesterday, Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio claimed Mr Muchemi offered Mr Sonko up to Sh5 million daily in January 2019 to retain JamboPay’s lucrative revenue collection contract with Nairobi County.
Mr Kisorio told the court that Mr Sonko had reported a suspected bribery attempt by Mr Muchemi, who allegedly sought to influence him to retain JamboPay's revenue collection contract.
Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at the Milimani Law Court in Nairobi on February 7, 2024.
“Your honour, I recall that on January 10, 2019, around 11 am, I was summoned by the Deputy DCIO Mtwapa to his office. It was there that I met then Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko,” Mr Kisorio, who is currently the sub-County Police Commander in Hulugho, Garissa County, testified.
He said Mr Sonko asked the police to help record an incriminating conversation with Mr Muchemi, who was scheduled to visit him at his Kanamai residence in Kilifi County.
“The then governor said Mr Muchemi was visiting him at his home and requested our help in recording the meeting and arresting him if a bribe was offered,” the officer said.
An occurrence book (OB) entry number 35/10/01/2019 was recorded at Mtwapa Police Station before Mr Kisorio and his team provided Sonko with a Sony ICD-PX 470 audio recorder (serial number 1161788) to capture the conversation.
“We briefed the then governor on how to operate the device and remained hidden in another room during the meeting," Mr Kisorio told the court.
He added that the meeting lasted for a while with one unidentified person joining in and leaving briefly. Once the meeting ended, Mr Sonko handed over the recording device to the officers.
Mr Kisorio later reviewed the 57-minute-long recording at Mtwapa Police Station.
“What surprised me was that Mr Muchemi openly told Mr Sonko that if he agreed to cooperate, he would earn Sh4 million to Sh5 million daily,” Mr Kisorio testified.
The officer requested to play the audio recording in court as part of his evidence but Magistrate Ondieki adjourned the session and scheduled the hearing to resume today at 9.30 am.
“We believe the audio evidence will shed more light on the extent of corruption in the revenue collection tender,” Mr Kisorio said.
The officer who is testifying in Mr Sonko's defence is the fourth witness in the Sh20 million corruption case.
Mr Sonko has already been found with a case to answer on 11 corruption-related charges filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Inspector Kisorio is being led in his testimony by lawyer Assa Nyakundi.
The hearing continues.
