Ex-governor Sonko acquitted in a 2019 assault, forceful entry case

Sonko had been charged with various counts of assault and forcible entry of property in Buruburu

In Summary
  • When the case came for directions on Monday, the prosecutor notified the court that they did not object to the complainants' application to withdraw the case.
  • Monday's win comes a month after Sonko and 16 others were acquitted in a case relating to alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Sh357 million belonging to the Nairobi county government.
Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at Kiambu Law Courts on March 11, 2024
Former Nairobi governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko at Kiambu Law Courts on March 11, 2024
Image: DOUGLAS OKIDDY

Ex-Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is counting yet another win after the Kiambu Court threw out a case against him following the withdrawal of the accusations by the complainants.

Sonko had been charged with various counts of assault and forcible entry of property in Buruburu Phase Four.

When the case came for directions on Monday, the prosecutor notified the court that they did not object to the complainants' application to withdraw the case.

Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ooko then proceeded to mark the case as closed.

"From complaint number one all the way to number 10, the application to have the matter withdrawn reasons advance which has not been opposed, I allow the same as prayed. I have also discharged the accused's surety," Ooko ordered.

"The matter is marked as closed," he ruled further.

In the case, the politician was first arraigned before the court in 2021, where he faced one charge of forcible entry and nine counts of assault causing bodily harm.

Then, he was charged that on May 25, 2019, at 2 pm at Buruburu Phase Four, in Kamukunji, jointly with others not before court forcibly and violently entered into land number LR Nairobi block 78/8, the property of Landmark International Properties.

He faced other counts of assault causing actual bodily harm.

It was alleged that on the same day in May 2019, he led a group of men and assaulted some nine men, thereby occasioning them actual bodily harm.

The court heard that Sonko left his office at City Hall while he was the Nairobi Governor and proceeded to Buruburu Phase Four while accompanied by youths who under his utterances caused the commission of the offences.

He, however, denied the charges and was released on a Sh300,000 bond with a surety of the same amount.

Monday's win comes a month after Sonko and 16 others were acquitted in a case relating to alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Sh357 million belonging to the Nairobi county government.

Milimani Magistrate Eunice Nyutu acquitted them saying no evidence has been adduced by the prosecution to show they conspired to embezzle the said funds.

"After carefully considering the testimony of six witnesses, the evidence adduced is inadequate to sustain the charges levelled against the accused persons," Nyutu said.

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