Police officer tells court about alleged bribery attempt
A senior police officer has revealed before an Anti-Corruption Court that JamboPay (Webtribe Ltd) Director Danson Muchemi allegedly attempted to bribe former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko with between Sh4 million and Sh5 million daily to secure a lucrative revenue collection tender.
Following the governor’s request, Kisorio and his team booked an official report, OB 35/10/01/2019, at Mtwapa Police Station.
They then equipped Sonko with a Sony ICD-PX 470 audio recorder (Serial No. 1161788) to secretly record the meeting at his home.
“We instructed the governor to record everything. The meeting lasted a while, and at some point, another person whom I do not know briefly came in and left. After the meeting ended, the governor handed us the recorder,” Kisorio testified.
Audio recording presented as part of investigations
Upon reviewing the 57-minute recording back at the station, the officer said he was shocked by what he heard.
“What struck me was that Muchemi openly told the governor that if he agreed to work with him, he would be getting Sh4 to Sh5 million daily. He also claimed that former Governor Evans Kidero made Sh7 billion from the same revenue collection deal,” Kisorio told the court.
Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio, currently the Sub-County Police Commander in Hulugho, Garissa County, on Wednesday told Milimani Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki how an undercover operation was mounted in January 2019 in Mtwapa, Kilifi County, following a tip-off from Sonko himself.
Sonko calls defence witnesses
Sonko, who has since been put on his defence in a graft case, chose to call his own defence witnesses.
In a clear demonstration, one of the witnesses, now a retired judicial officer, Henry Nyakweba, told trial Magistrate Charles Ondieki that Sonko was a complainant in a corruption case which he presided over while serving at the Mombasa Law Courts.
The witness told the court that a businessman by the name Rafur Kumar attempted to bribe Sonko with Sh7 million.
However, Sonko declined the offer and instead reported the matter to the police.
The witness said the bribery incident took place in 2018 when Sonko was serving as Nairobi County Governor.
Former magistrate recalls bribery case
At the same time, former Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakwemba appeared before the court and presented a charge sheet in which an Indian national had allegedly tried to bribe Sonko with over Sh7 million to secure a tender.
The magistrate said Kumar Pravile was charged with offering a bribe contrary to the law before his court.
However, he said he never oversaw the hearing because he was transferred before the case hearing commenced.
Defence hearing continues
The court placed the two on their defence earlier this year after ruling in February 2025 that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them.
The magistrate is the fifth witness and testified in the Sh20 million corruption case facing Sonko.
The former governor is battling seven graft charges in a case filed by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Eleven more witnesses are expected to testify in favour of Sonko.
Sonko is jointly charged with businessman Patrick Ombok, who is expected to defend himself in five of the seven counts.
The defence hearing will proceed on July 21, 2025.
