Sonko bribery case: Ex-magistrate testifies in Ksh20M graft trial
By Zipporah Ngwatu, July 18, 2025New evidence has emerged in the ongoing defence hearing of former Nairobi County Governor Michael Mbuvi Sonko over graft charges involving a Ksh20 million bribery.
The evidence was tendered on Thursday, July 17, 2025, by retired Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba.
Appearing before Milimani Anti-Corruption Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, the retired judicial officer informed the court that he had handled a case in which a certain businessman is said to have bribed the former county boss.
He told the court that he presided over the plea-taking of Praful Kumar Premchand Savla, a hotel owner who was accused of bribing former Governor Sonko in a bid to push him to approve and continue the construction of a controversial property.
The retired magistrate informed the court that Nairobi City hotel owner Praful’s plea-taking was before him in 2018, at which time he was stationed at the Mombasa Law Courts.
“In the year 2018, I was a Principal Magistrate at the Mombasa Law Courts, and one day I took a plea over Praful Kumar. That was in anti-corruption case number 10 of 2018,” the retired magistrate told the court.
Further, he told the court that the case involved three counts of giving a bribe contrary to Section 5(1), as read with Section 18(1), (2) of the Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.
According to the charge sheet, the accused is said to have, on August 20, 2018, at Kanamai in Kikambala, Kilifi County, as a businessman and proprietor of Grand Manor Hotel in Nairobi County, offered a financial advantage of Ksh5 million to Governor Michael Mbuvi Sonko.
In count two and third counts, the businessman is accused of giving a bribe contrary to Section 5(1), as read with Section 18(1), (2) of the Bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.
The charge sheet states that Praful also attempted to bribe the former county boss with another Ksh2 million on the same date, still at his Kanamai residence in Kilifi County.
Notably, Magistrate Nyakweba told the court that he granted the accused bond, which he believes was paid.
However, he told the court that he did not proceed to hear the case beyond the plea-taking after he was transferred to the Embu Law Courts, where he retired in 2023.
“I am only aware of the plea-taking process and have not seen the full court file,” the retired judicial officer told the court.
During cross-examination by the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), State Counsel Wesley Nyamache asked him whether he knew if Kumar was part of the current case at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, to which he responded that he was not aware.
“I cannot confirm if the accused in that file formed part of this case. I have not seen the complete case file to know whether he was found guilty or not. I only saw the charge sheet,” the retired magistrate told the court.
The defence hearing will proceed on Monday, July 21, 2025, at 9:30 am.