US state department bans Kenyan politician and family over corruption

The US state department has banned flamboyant Kenyan politician Mike Sonko and his family from travelling to the US over allegations of corruption while in office.

Mr Sonko was the governor of Kenya‘s capital, Nairobi, but was impeached in December 2020 over charges of abuse of office, gross violation of the constitution, gross misconduct and crimes against national law.

The US says while in office he “solicited bribes and kickbacks in exchange for awarding government contracts to his associates”.

Mr Sonko on Tuesday denied the allegations and said he was being targeted wrongly.

He has been designated alongside his wife Primrose, daughters Salma and Saumu and an unnamed minor child.

Mr Sonko becomes the second Kenyan to be publicly banned from travelling to the US during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s era over corruption allegations.

In 2019, Busia Senator Amos Wako, who is a former Attorney General, was banned from the US over similar allegations, alongside his wife and son.