Sonko moved to Industrial Area Remand Prison

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will spend two more nights in police custody pending a ruling on his bail application.

Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate directed that Sonko be remanded until Wednesday, December 11 when the court will rule on whether to grant him and his co-accused bail.

The Governor and his co-accused will be remanded at the Industrial Area Remand Prison.

This is after the prosecution submitted that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) cells have no capacity to accommodate all the accused persons.

The prosecution led by James Kihara opposed the release of Sonko on bail on grounds that he is a flight risk, is likely to abscond court, intimidate witnesses and interfere with investigations.

The prosecution further sought orders barring Sonko and other public officers from accessing their offices pending hearing and determination of the case.

They also want the accused persons barred from contacting, intimidating witnesses or investigators as well as deposit passports with court.

The Nairobi Governor and 11 others were charged with several counts of corruption relating to irregular payment of sh. 357.3 million. They all denied the charges.

Sonko has been in police custody since Friday when he was arrested in Voi.

The Governor’s lawyers also pleaded with the court to allow him access medical attention, claiming that he was injured during the arrest.

In his ruling, Magistrate Ogoti directed that Sonko’s admission to hospital be approved by the prisons medical centre.

“Due to the urgency of the medical treatment of accused one (Mike Sonko), though disputed, it’s ordered that his admission to hospital will be certified by the prisons medical centre in the presence of his physician in order to be escorted to any other hospital for his medical attention as soon as that can be arranged,” ruled the magistrate.