Embattled Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko got a reprieve after a Voi court on Wednesday dropped assault case against him.
In his ruling, senior resident magistrate Fredrick Nyakundi said that the complainant is no longer interested in pursuing the matter and therefore the governor could not take plea.
The Director of Public Prosecutions had applied to withdraw the assault charges pointing out that the complainant had willingly opted to drop it.
According to the charge sheet, Sonko was accused of assaulting the Coast regional commander Rashid Yakubu while resisting his arrest at Ikanga strip in Voi on December 6, 2019.
Sonko’s lead counsel Cecil Milner welcomed the ruling noting that both parties had agreed to withdraw the case.
“We are in agreement with the prosecution side to drop the case. Both parties have talked and agreed on this move,” he told the court.
Four witnesses including Commander Yakub, Voi OCS James Mwanzia and police officers Michael Muriithi, Fred Sabai, Stephen Mtawa, Ibrahim Ahmed had been listed to testify in the case.
Sonko is facing 19 charges of corruption, abuse of office and irregular payments that lost the county Sh357 million in Nairobi.
Speaking outside the court, former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile lamented that the governor was been hunted for supporting Deputy President William Rutto.
He asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigation to desist from being politically used to tame vocal leaders.
“It is clear that police assaulted the governor. In this case, all the officers involved should be prosecuted,” he told journalists in Voi.
