Governor Sonko to face 3 assault charges over arrest drama

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at a Milimani court during his bail and bond ruling. [George Njunge/Standard]

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko is expected to appear before a Voi court tomorrow to answer to assault charges.

According to a charge sheet seen by The Standard, Sonko is to be charged on three counts.

They include resisting police arrest and disorderly conduct for battling police officers when they arrested him on December 6 and flew him to Nairobi to face graft charges.

“We do not anticipate any trouble on Wednesday. These are simple assault charges,” said Taita Taveta county police commander Mohamed Kiprotich yesterday when he addressed journalists.

When Sonko was arrested at a road block and briefly held at the Voi SGR police station, crowds of local residents quickly massed outside, engaging police in running battles.

Last week, the governor was arraigned at Milimani law courts, Nairobi, where he denied 19 counts of corruption. Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti released him on a Sh15 million cash bail.

In the Voi case, police said they have served court summons to the governor to appear in court tomorrow to answer charges of assaulting Coast Regional Police Commander Rashid Yakub by kicking him on the thigh and insulting others during his dramatic arrest in Voi.

His arraignment follows recommendation by the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji.

"We have served the court summons to the governor’s Directorate of Communications offices in Nairobi because the governor has been barred from entering his offices,” said Kiprotich.

In a tweet yesterday, Police spokesman Charles Owino said the governor must appear in person at the Voi court. Four witnesses, among them Yakub and three other police officers, have been listed to testify in the case.

Assaulting a police officer on duty execution is contrary to section 103 of the Police Act 2011.

Although the police say they do not anticipate crowd trouble, The Standard has established that dozens of policemen have been summoned from Wundanyi and Mwatate to assist in beefing up security in town and around the law courts.