SOMEONE TRIES TO KILL SONKO WHILE IN DETENTION

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has sensationally claimed there was an attempt to inject him with an unknown substance while in detention at Gigiri police station on Tuesday evening.

An emotional Sonko told anti-corruption magistrate Douglas Ogoti that he is fearful for his life as he was kept under solitary confinement at Gigiri.

“The entire police station was clear of any persons that had been arrested and my client found himself in solitary confinement.

“He was the only person in those cells. No wonder the motive was to inject him involuntarily with what he wouldn’t know as he didn’t ask for any police doctor to attend to him,” said his lawyer Wilfred Nyamu.

Sonko told the court that the assault and robbery with violence charges levelled against him before a Kiambu court were framed because he declined to withdraw certain claims he made against Kristina Prat Kenyatta.

Sonko in an affidavit claimed that Kristina Pratt Kenyatta contacted him prior to his impeachment. Kristina sought Sonko’s favour to appoint Jane Weru as the Nairobi deputy governor.

The affidavit was part of a case Sonko filed seeking to stop the county assembly from vetting and approving Kananu Mwenda as DG. He lost after the court declined to issue the orders.

On Wednesday, the politician became very emotional to a point magistrate Ogoti had to give him time to calm himself. “Just compose yourself. Do not cry, do not cry,” said Ogoti.

Sonko appeared in court after he failed to appear on Tuesday for the mention of his Sh10 million bribery case. A production order had been issued.

His absence in court on Tuesday was because he had been presented before Kiambu court for assault and robbery with violence charges.

The purpose of mentioning the case was for Sonko to inform the court on the way forward regarding the lawyers who will represent him in the case after withdrawing lawyers Cecil Miller and George Kithi.

He informed the court that he now has the services of John Khaminwa, Wilfed Nyamu and Assa Nyakundi to represent him.

Magistrate Ogoti subsequently directed that the former lawyers hand over documents disclosed to them during pre-trial in the next 48 hours to Khaminwa who is now the lead counsel. The documents will include witness statements and all necessary documentation relied by the state to prosecute the case.

Ogoti directed the matter be mentioned on February 10 when he will also deal with another application by Sonko seeking his recusal.

But before the matter was closed, Khaminwa and Nyamu urged the court to issue an order that Sonko should not be arrested once he is out of the court premises until February 10 for the next mention date.

Sonko’s legal team was apprehensive that he would be re-arrested.

“There are police vehicles outside the courtroom and we are apprehensive that it is an ambush. The motive is to arrest Sonko. We are not being speculative. Such an attempt would be an abuse of power and process and would amount to an abduction,” said Nyamu.

“When he came, only one police vehicle was in tow. But now there are many. That’s psychological torture. My client is not armed. Why would we have a battery of policemen for one person”?

In a brief rejoinder, State counsel Alex Akula said the claims by the defense team should be made in the form of an affidavit and that the Kiambu court was the proper court to handle the claims being made by Sonko and not the Milimani court.

Ogoti in a brief ruling ordered the investigating officer in Sonko’s case to make sure Sonko is safely escorted back to Gigiri where he was removed.

“Once delivered, the OCS at Gigiri should ensure protection of Sonko till he is presented before Kiambu magistrate court at 2pm today,” said Ogoti.

By The Star