‘Sonko’ freed after six days in cell

Makadara MP Gidion ‘Sonko’ Kioko Mbuvi was finally freed after spending six nights at Nairobi’s Kileleshwa Police Station.

Mr Mbuvi was granted a Sh1.5 million bond in two fraud cases on Friday but he could not secure the bond. He was taken to Kileleshwa police station instead of Industrial Area remand.

He had been charged with fraudulently obtaining Sh3.3 million.

The Makadara MP was released after after Kibera chief magistrate Cecilia Githua examined his sureties and approved them.

After the magistrate signed his release orders, the MP was transferred from Kileleshwa Police Station to Industrial Area before he was freed at 4.55pm.

Immediately he was released he addressed his supporters and accused the Police Commissioner of “finishing youth”.

His supporters jammed the prison’s gate singing and dancing in his praise.

The supporters had gone to court some minutes after 7am, forcing the police to block them from entering court precincts. The police fired in the air to disperse the crowd.

Lawyers led by Cliff Ombeta accompanied the accused to Industrial Area Prisons. Other lawyers representing him are Cecil Miller and Paul Muite.

Several motorcycles led his convoy of vehicles from Industrial Area to Makadara.

On Friday, the magistrate lifted a warrant of arrest issued against him seven years ago for jumping bail after denying obtaining Sh18.1 million.

Chief Inspector Joseph Musyoka did not object to the accused being freed on bail.

Mr Mbuvi is charged with fraudulently obtaining Sh500,000 from Ms Patience Chepchumba Kogo in Mombasa on November 24, last year.

In the second count, Mr Mbuvi denied conspiring to defraud Tile Carpet Centre Ltd of Sh2.8 million on August 16, 2006.

Hearing was set for December 28, and another for February 1, 2011.