The governor of Kenya’s capital Nairobi pleaded not guilty in court on Monday to corruption and other economic crimes involving millions of dollars.
Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko was arrested on Friday and is accused of conspiracy to commit corruption, conflict of interest, failure to comply with laws related to procurement, unlawful acquisition of public property and laundering the proceeds of crime.
A 44-year-old former senator, Sonko is a flamboyant figure, known for his glitzy lifestyle, flashy clothes, chunky gold jewelry and eye-catching hairstyles.
He appeared before anti-corruption chief magistrate Douglas Ogoti on Monday dressed in a designer shirt sequined with a gold teddy bear under a hooded camouflaged jacket.
Chief public prosecutor Noordin Haji has accused Sonko and his associates of the misappropriation of 357 million Kenyan shillings ($3.52 million).
Ogoti said later on Monday that he would rule on Wednesday whether to grant bail to Sonko, other officials and businessmen and women charged alongside him. Ogoti ordered that they remain in custody until then.
