Journalist Ken Mijungu testifies in Sonko’s graft case
By Zipporah Ngwatu, July 21, 2025A prominent journalist, Kenneth Mijungu, popularly known as Ken Mijungu, has tendered two video clips as evidence in former Nairobi County Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko’s graft case hearing.
Mijungu produced the evidence before Milimani Anti-Corruption Principal Charles Ondieki, on Monday, July 21, 2025, after the court ordered him to appear and produce the clips.
On May 14, 2025, the court ordered the journalist to produce two video clips that were aired in one of the local media houses in an attempt by one businessman to bribe the then county boss.
The videos played in court showed businessman Praful Kumar Premchand Savla being arrested at Sonko’s Kanamai residence in Kilifi County.
Notably, bunches of money in a one thousand notes were seen placed on a table in the same house where Kumar was arrested.
According to the report, Kumar had visited Sonko with Ksh7 million as a bribe to allow him to proceed with building of Grand Manor Hotel in Gigiri within Nairobi County.
Mijungu told the court that during that particular time, the stories were aired he was the editor in-charge of legal matters.
“That time I was the editor in charge of legal affairs and I used my personal laptop to download the clips,” Mijungu told the court.
He also informed the court that after the items were aired, they uploaded them on companies’ YouTube channel, where they have been intact for the last six years.
Charge sheet
According to a charge sheet produced in court by a retired Senior Principal Magistrate Henry Nyakweba, Kumar is said that on August 20, 2018, at Kanamai in Kikambala, Kilifi County, as a businessman and proprietor of Grand Manor Hotel in Nairobi County offered a financial advantage of Ksh5 million to Governor Micheal Mbuvi Sonko.
In count two and third count, the businessman is accused of giving bribe contrary to Section 5(1) as read with Section 18 (1), (2) of the bribery Act No. 47 of 2016.
The charge sheet states that, Praful also tried to bribe the former County boss another Ksh2 million on the same date still at his Kanamai residence in Kilifi County.
Tendering his evidence on July 17, 2025, Magistrate Nyakweba told the court that he granted the accused a bond which he believes he paid.
However, he told the court that he did not proceed to hear the case beyond the plea taking after he was transferred to Embu Law Courts where he retired from in 2023.
“I am only aware of the plea-taking process and have not seen the full court file,” the retired judicial officer told the court.
The Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) State Counsel Wesley Nyamache asked the journalist whether he was aware of the matter of subject to the case he was testifying to.
In his response Mijungu stated that “strictly no.”
Another witness
Another witness in the same case, Assistant Superintendent in charge of forensic department at DCI headquarters Beneutychus Wanjohi, also testified.
Wanjohi told the court that he was in charge of transcribing the audio recording between Sonko and JamboPay director Danson Muchemi, which was secretly recorded at Sonko’s Kanamai residence.
He further told the court that after he was done with the transcription, he made a certificate of the same.
“On June 4, 2025, I did the transcription, and it’s before the c a conversation of an audio recording of 57 minutes and 6 seconds, I did a report of the transcribe and certificate,” officer Wanjohi told the court.
The officer also told the court that he transcribed the audio as it was, without interference or changing it.
The hearing will proceed on July 28, 2025, at 9:30 am.