'Broke' Nairobi Governor Sonko Cries Foul as the Government Freezes His Nine Bank Accounts in December

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko says he is unable to financially support himself or his family after the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) allegedly froze his bank accounts.

In an application filed through his attorney Harrison Kinyanjui, Sonko claimed that ARA suspended his bank accounts without an appropriate court order. He alleged the assets recovery agency used an order issued ex-parte on December 11th, 2019 to freeze his bank accounts despite expiring 14 days later.

 “To continue festering these bank accounts of the applicant in the manner complained of itself is a violation of the constitution,” Kinyanjui said on Tuesday.

Nine bankers, among them Diamond Trust Bank, National Bank, Equity Bank, and KCB allegedly informed Sonko that his accounts were frozen following an ex-parte order issued by Magistrate E. Riany at the request of ARA.

The magistrate directed that the application by ARA be served upon the respondents and an inter-party hearing was scheduled for December 23rd last year, Lawyer Kinyanjui said. Kinyanjui added that Sonko was not served and thus the matter failed to proceed on the said date, accusing ARA of uttering a false document to misrepresent to the governor’s bankers.

“Having not been extended beyond the 14 days initially granted in December 2019, the said orders is a nullity and cannot be legally enforced having lapsed and ought to be vacated,” read court papers.

“The Assets Recovery Agency is thus relying upon a non-existing and lapsed order to unlawfully invade and freeze the applicant’s bank accounts in breach of the constitution.”