KIAMBU,Kenya, Jan, 3 – Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will Thursday know his fate on whether he will be granted bail or detained for 30 days at the Kamiti Maximum prisons.
The ruling will be issued by the Kahawa Law courts, where the application was made on Wednesday.
The Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) has sought the custodial detention period of 30 days “in order to conduct further investigations.”
The ATPU informed the Kahawa Law Courts that it would prefer terror related charges against Sonko, a move that caught his legal team off guard.
During the proceedings, ATPU detective, Chief Inspector Newton Thimangu, told the court that the unit had information of plans to destabilise the national security, with Sonko allegedly being at the epicenter.
“It is believed that the suspect herein is recruiting a militia group to disrupt the peace and stability of the nation leading to anarchy which can escalate to civil disobedience of law and order,” Chief Inspector Thimangu said.
In the litany of charges, Sonko is accused of procuring uniforms resembling those of the military and associated with a terrorist group.
The said uniform, the court heard, Sonko has been spotted wearing in public “in disregard to the law and regulations restricting use of such attire by non-security agents.”
The court was also presented with an exhibit, in form of a photo depicting Sonko and one of his aides, wearing the attires.
“This coded signals portray that the militia are ready and that they will be armed to create a threat to the stability of this countermand to the citizens of this country through triggering acts of war within the boundaries of Kenya,” the Investigating officer said.
“The suspect has started arming his private security agents with full military attire namely military boots, military jungle uniform and firearms,”
The ATPU detective also informed the court that Sonko was connected to financing of terrorism activities and that he was in advanced stage of procuring arms and ammunition, using a wide syndicate which is complex and sophisticated.
Earlier during the day, appearing before Nairobi Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, Sonko accused police officers at the Gigiri Police Station of attempting to inject him with an unknown substance.
He pleaded with the courts through his lawyers John Khaminwa, Wilfred Nyamu and Assa Nyakundi to have him moved from the station to Muthaiga Police Station.
He further accused the police officers at Gigiri of denying him attention to ‘his heart medication.’
“I tried to access my client and was denied access. The entire police station was clear of any persons that had been arrested and Sonko found himself in solitary confinement where he is the only person in those cells,” said Sonko’s legal team.
Shortly after the courts directed that the accused is escorted back to the Gigiri police station, he was arrested and taken to the Kahawa Law Courts.
Ogoti had directed that police present Sonko back in court on Thursday at 2pm.
“The two OCS and IO will be liable for presenting Sonko in court,” ordered Ogoti.
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