Why past crimes may haunt flashy governor back to jail and bury him at Shimo La Tewa

Governor Mike Sonko. [Courtesy]

Besieged Governor Mike Sonko’s dramatic arrest yesterday opens a ‘Pandora’s box’ that signals his possible return to jail over past crimes.

The county chief is not only in trouble after Director Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji approved his arrest to face eight graft charges in relation to Sh357 million, but the anti-graft agency is also still digging in.

Governor Sonko’s past has come to haunt him as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) enhanced probe on him for providing false information in the self-declaration form in 2017 when he contested the governor’s seat, contrary to leadership and integrity law.

The dramatic life of the first term governor could be further complicated as the commission seeks to have him behind bars for allegedly escaping from lawful custody 21 years ago.

Investigators informed the Saturday Standard that the commission wants the National Police Service (NPS) to effect the outstanding warrant of arrest in Mombasa CF275/2001 against Mbuvi Gidion Kioko.

He was charged with seven counts of stealing, obtaining money by false pretense and making documents without authority.

The DPP has identified the governor with many names in his consent statement, yet the findings of the commission also revealed that he has a case to answer, which could see him jailed for previous conviction and sentencing.

According to the detectives’ findings, the governor was never charged with the offense of escape from lawful custody and therefore has an outstanding warrant of arrest in Mombasa law courts to take plea since May 7, 2001.

Convicted

Similarly, he faces charges of fraud, bribery, procurement irregularities, exaggerated payments and misappropriation of public funds in the awarding of garbage contracts to companies in the Sh357 million scam.

According to investigation particulars, on March 12, 1998, Mbuvi Gidion Kioko was convicted on his own plea of guilt for failing to attend court in CF675/97 and was sentenced to six months in prison or pay a fine of Sh200,000.

On the same day, he was convicted again on his own plea of guilt for failing to attend court in CF127/96 and was sentenced to six months imprisonment or Sh500,000 fine.

He failed to raise the fines and was committed to Shimo La Tewa prison on the same day to serve his sentences consecutively, that is for 12 months under prison number P/No SHO/477/1998.

However, he escaped on April 16, 1998 while receiving treatment at the Coast General Hospital.

He was rearrested in Nairobi in November 2000 and was remanded in Industrial Area Prison for other criminal offenses. He was transferred to Kamiti Maximum Prison on December 15, 2000 as prisoner number KAM/1255/2000/LS.

He filed a miscellaneous application 80/2001 for release on various grounds and in his affidavit, Kioko confirmed he is the accused person in the criminal cases and sentenced to one year in jail.