Governor Sonko has violated bond terms, DPP says

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji now says that Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko violated his bond terms by accessing his office and nominating Anne Kananu Mwenda as the deputy governor.

While responding to a petition challenging Kananu’s nomination, the DPP argues that Sonko is illegally running the office of Governor in Upper Hill.

The prosecution wants the court to quash Sonko’s decision, adding that any vetting of Kananu will be in violation of the lower Court’s decision.

“…the act of the 2nd respondent (Sonko) in nominating a Deputy Governor smacks of impunity and is calculated to intimidate and interfere with the witnesses in Anti-Corruption Case No.31 of 2019 and Anti-Corruption Case 32 of 2019 based at Nairobi County Assembly,” reads court documents.

The DPP says after nominating a deputy governor, Sonko has continued to violate the bond terms by accessing his office and exercising the powers of the Office of the Governor of Nairobi City County Governor.

“The 2nd respondent claims that since he has not been suspended from office he still has the powers to conduct the functions of the Office of the Governor of Nairobi which illegally does from his private office in Upperhill,” the DPP further submits.

The DPP argues that Sonko’s claim that he was only barred from physically accessing his office at City Hall is “completely misguided.”

Haji maintains that the order barring Sonko from office extends to conducting functions of that office until the hearing and determination of the criminal cases filed against him.

The DPP wants the court to quash the nomination of Ann Kananu by Sonko.