Editor's Review

  • The arrests were initiated on Friday across Nairobi with Sonko loyal supporters and aides targetted. 
  • To date, nine more people have been arrested over their links to Sonko. 

The crackdown on former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko has continued with police targeting his aides and supporters.

Reports indicate that over the weekend, plainclothes police officers arrested aides, searched their houses, and causing panic over allegations of terrorism activities.

Seven more aides were arrested on Friday and Saturday by detectives. Some were nabbed outside City Hall, their Nairobi homes, and some on the road.

The arrests increased to nine the number of those in custody, in addition to Sonko, over claims they are training a militia group to terrorise the country.

Among the seized items from the suspects include knives and items including jungle camouflage military-type uniforms. The operations were carried out by the Anti-Terror Police Unit.

The first people arrested in the operation that began last week were aides Clifford Ouko and Benjamin Ochieng. On Thursday they were produced at the Kahawa West law court in Kamiti Prison for allegedly attempting to rescue Sonko.

The magistrate ordered them detained until Monday when they and Sonko will appear for the hearing of an application to hold them for 30 days

The two were arrested on February 3 outside Kamiti after Ochieng had gone on Facebook live outside the prison.

Sonko spent the weekend at the Gigiri police cells ahead of two rulings on his release.

To reduce the number of those planning to see him at the cells, police misled would-be visitors that he had been moved to Kamiti or Shimo La Tewa Prison in Mombasa.

The Kamiti court hearing an application to hold Sonko 30 days deferred the ruling to Tuesday, February 9.

His defence opposed the application, citing alleged contempt of court by the prosecution and jurisdictional issues.

The lawyers include John Khaminwa, Assa Nyakundi, Evans Ondieki, and Alfred Nyamu.