Former Nairobi City County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko on Tuesday took the witness stand at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court as he mounted his defence against allegations of conflict of interest and other corruption-related charges stemming from procurement irregularities during his tenure at City Hall.
Appearing before Anti-Corruption Court Magistrate Charles Ondieki, Sonko gave sworn testimony and presented video evidence which his defence team said was aimed at exonerating him and demonstrating his long-standing opposition to corruption.
The videos played in court showed Sonko leading efforts to stop the alleged grabbing of a school in Kamkunji and land belonging to a water reservoir in Loresho during his time as Nairobi Senator.
His lawyers argued that the prosecution against him amounted to “corruption fighting back,” portraying the former governor as a crusader targeted for challenging entrenched interests.
Sonko was first charged in January 2020 with conflict of interest and related offences over alleged irregularities in the award of a revenue collection services contract for Nairobi City County while he was governor. The charges were later amended in September 2020, and the prosecution proceeded with its case until July 2022.
In December 2022, the trial court acquitted Sonko after finding that the prosecution had failed to establish a case beyond reasonable doubt.
However, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions appealed the decision to the High Court, which ruled that the trial magistrate had erred by relying on the original charge sheet instead of the amended one when determining whether Sonko had a case to answer.
The High Court subsequently referred the matter back to the trial court for a fresh determination based on the amended charges.
In a ruling delivered on January 20, 2025, Magistrate Ondieki found that Sonko had a case to answer and placed him on his defence following fresh submissions by the prosecution.
The defence hearing began in May 2025, and Sonko on Tuesday testified as the 21st defence witness in the case.
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