Officer exposes bribery plot in fight to secure Nairobi revenue collection tender

Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio at Milimani Law Courts testifying in the Sh20 million graft case against former Nairobi Governor Sonko, on July 16, 2025. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard] A senior police officer shocked the Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday with damning allegations that JamboPay (Webtribe Ltd) Director Danson Muchemi attempted to bribe former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko with Sh4 million or Sh5 million daily to secure a lucrative revenue collection tender. Testifying before Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio, currently the Sub-County Police Commander in Hulugho, Garissa County, gave a detailed account of an undercover operation in Mtwapa in January 2019 on the bribery scheme. "Your honour, I do recall on January 10, 2019, around 11:00 am., I was summoned by the Deputy DCIO Mtwapa to his office. It was there that I met the then Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko," Kisorio told the court. He said Sonko had reported that Muchemi was allegedly attempting to bribe him in a bid to retain JamboPay's contract for revenue collection in Nairobi County. The governor had sought the police's assistance in recording the incriminating conversation between him and Muchemi who had visited his residence in Kilifi county. "The Governor said Muchemi was visiting him at his Kanamai residence. He wanted help arresting him if he attempted to bribe him," Kisorio told the court. An OB report, OB 35/10/01/2019, was booked at Mtwapa Police Station before Kisorio and his team issued Sonko with a Sony ICD-PX 470 audio recorder (serial number 1161788) to secretly capture the conversation between the duo. The officers briefed Sonko on how to use the device and hid in another room during the meeting. "We instructed the governor to record everything. The meeting lasted a while, and at some point, another person whom l do not know briefly came in and left. After the meeting ended, the governor handed us the recorder," the officer recounted. Kisorio testified that he later reviewed the recording at Mtwapa Police Station. "What struck me was that Muchemi openly told the governor that if he agreed to work with him, he would be getting Sh4 to Sh5 million daily," he claimed The court heard that the recording that captured the bribery scheme runs for 57 minutes and 16 seconds, with the officer seeking permission to play the audio as part of his evidence However, Magistrate Ondieki adjourned the proceedings and scheduled the resumption of the hearing for Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., when the controversial recording will be played in open court. "We believe the audio evidence will further shed light on the depth of corruption in the revenue collection tender," Kisorio said. The officer who had been stood down until Thursday was giving evidence in the Sh20 million graft case against former county boss. He was the fourth defence witness called by Sonko who was found with a case to answer in 11 corruption charges levelled against him by the DPP.

Officer exposes bribery plot in fight to secure Nairobi revenue collection tender

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Officer exposes bribery plot in fight to secure Nairobi revenue collection tender

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