Kalonzo didn't secure Sonko release

A Facebook post claiming that Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka secured the release of former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko from jail is FALSE.

The post contains two images. One shows Kalonzo, a former vice president of Kenya, and other politicians posing for a photo when they visited Sonko at the Gigiri Divisional Headquarters on February 8, 2021.

The photo has been published by a number of media outlets, including Kenyans.co.ke and pulselive.co.ke alongside a story about the visit.

The other photo shows Deputy President William Ruto addressing a gathering. The post praises Kalonzo for securing Sonko’s release and castigates Ruto and his political faction, dubbed ‘Tangatanga’, for abandoning the former governor at his hour of need.

However, PesaCheck has found no evidence to support the claim that Sonko was released on the date Kalonzo visited him.

The former governor was brought before the Kahawa law courts to face terror-related charges and the prosecution has asked that he be detained for 30 days.

A day earlier, he faced a separate charge of robbery with violence at the Kiambu law courts where an application for his release on bail was made.

During the hearing of the terror case on February 4, 2021, the court ruled that it would issue a determination on his bail application on the afternoon of February 9, 2021, after ruling on the robbery charge had been issued.

Additionally, an article by The Star contained a photograph of  Sonko at the Kiambu law courts on February 9.

The Kiambu court released Sonko on February 9 on a Sh300,000 bond, and not on February 8, as claimed in the post. Nothing about Sonko’s release was linked to efforts by the former VP.

PesaCheck has looked into the claim that former vice president and Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has secured Sonko's release from jail and finds it to be false FALSE.