The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, on Tuesday, January 21, tabled an application to withdraw the assault charges against Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko at a Voi court.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Nairobi County Director of Communications Jacob Elkana confirmed the development disclosing that the prosecution cited that the complainant was no longer interested in pursuing the matter.
Senior Resident Magistrate Fredrick Nyakundi is set to make the ruling on the matter on Wednesday, January 22, at 9 a.m. at Voi Law Courts.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, DPP Noordin Haji said, "I am not in Nairobi right now. I am majorly concerned with Sonko's corruption case. When it comes to corruption, we shall deal with Sonko squarely."
"For the assault case, maybe the teams involved reached an agreement and agreed to withdraw the charges," he continued.
In this case, the senior police officer, from the Coast region, who was reportedly assaulted by the Nairobi governor during the arrest at Ikanga Airstrip in Voi, had dropped the charges prompting the prosecution to table the withdrawal.
In a charge sheet dated Monday, December 9, 2019, Sonko was charged for assaulting a police officer who was in the line of duty.
Some of the witnesses in the case included Rashid Yakubu, James Mwanzia, Michael Muriithi, Corporal Fred Sabai, and Corporal Stephen Mtawa among others.
The case had earlier suffered a glitch after the governor failed to show up in court citing ill-health following the altercation that occurred between him and police officers during his arrest at Ikanga airstrip.
"The governor's doctor-directed that he could not appear in court due to his health complications so he will not avail himself in court today. He is still sick, he is suffering from high blood pressure," one of his lawyers, George Kithi, stated at the time.
Sonko is also facing charges related to the misappropriation of Ksh357 million from the county's public coffers, charges that saw him barred from accessing his office.
