Nairobi, September 2- The High Court has dismissed a bid by the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) to seize over Ksh.574 million from accounts linked to former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, granting him relief in a protracted money laundering case.
In a ruling delivered on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, Justice Nixon Sifuna rejected ARA’s application to confiscate Ksh.574,258,398.74, citing insufficient evidence to connect Sonko to illicit dealings. He ordered the immediate release of the frozen funds.
Sonko’s lawyer, Harrison Kinyanjui, welcomed the decision, arguing that ARA had failed to meet the legal threshold. He noted that suspicion alone was not proof of money laundering or theft of county resources.
The court accepted Sonko’s defense that he had been involved in legitimate business activities, including real estate transactions, before entering politics explaining the deposits flagged by investigators. Justice Sifuna further criticized ARA for failing to present comparative financial records from before Sonko’s tenure as governor, despite having the resources to do so.
Kinyanjui also suggested the case was politically driven, initiated by the previous administration as part of efforts to oust Sonko from office.
The judgment concludes a five-year legal battle over Sonko’s frozen accounts, with the court affirming his constitutional right to own property and finding no evidence of unlawful acquisition.
