Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has claimed that his prosecution in a Sh20 million graft case was orchestrated by powerful individuals in the former regime opposed to his firm stand in the fight against corruption at city hall.
In his defence before a Nairobi court on Thursday, Sonko said the charges he is facing were not grounded in law but politically engineered to punish and silence him for taking a firm stand on entrenched interests within the county government.
Sonko claimed the powerful forces held meetings at State House where they summoned senior staff in his county government to plot for his downfall.
He pointed out that the totality of the testimonies he has presented through various executive members of his government and top revenue collectors defended his management on zero tolerance for corruption.
"Powerful individuals who were against my policies to develop Nairobi county, building new markets, improving infrastructure, fighting the grabbing of public land and alleviating the social status of the well-being of Nairobians, ganged up to bring me down," he told the court.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at the Milimani anti-corruption court on February 3, 2025, during the hearing of the ongoing Sh20 million graft case against him.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
He told the magistrate that his opponents began to shoot down his efforts even when he was the Nairobi Senator, when he waged war to prevent the grabbing of land for building a water reservoir in Westlands.
He said that elected leaders were swayed to bring a motion to pass a vote of no confidence, which culminated in his impeachment by the Senate to remove him from power.
Sonko claimed that he terminated contracts awarded to companies for revenue collection and sacked county employees at the revenue department, allegedly involved in graft.
He said millions of shillings were recovered from the cashiers’ drawers at the end of the month after they allegedly interfered with automated revenue systems.
He maintained that during his tenure as governor, he took a firm stand against graft, a position that, he said, earned him powerful enemies.
Sonko alleged that "individuals he described as land grabbers and well-connected figures who attempted to compromise senior county officials in his government by offering them bribes of up to Sh5 million each."
He further claimed that the same group later approached him directly at his office, offering him Sh8 million to facilitate their interests.
According to the former governor, he rejected the offer and opted to report the matter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
He expressed surprise that the very agency he claimed to have alerted about the alleged bribery attempt later turned around and charged him in court.
“I declined the money and reported the matter, yet I am the one seated here as an accused person,” Sonko told the court, insisting that he was being unfairly targeted.
However, he told the court that he had previously moved to challenge related court orders and successfully had them set aside, a move he said further aggravated those opposed to him.
The former governor urged the court to look beyond the charges and consider the broader context in which the case arose, arguing that it was driven by malice and political vendetta rather than genuine efforts to fight corruption.
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko leaving the Milimani anti-corruption court on February 3, 2025, after the hearing of the ongoing Ksh.20 million graft case against him.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
He is charged alongside ROG Security Limited and Anthony Ombok, who has also denied the great charges.
Sonko took the witness defence following a High Court decision reversing the acquittal in the Sh20 million graft case, saying the DPP had established a prima facie case against Sonko, Ombok and the company to warrant them being out on their defence.
Sonko played videos showing his move to recover public land allegedly grabbed by wealthy individuals and city tycoons.
Sonko has denied charges of abuse of office, money laundering and corruption.
