Sonko expresses gratitude to US President Donald Trump for lifting travel ban
Sonko expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump for lifting travel ban
Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko claims that the United States (US) has lifted his travel ban.
In 2022, the then President Joe Biden’s administration had banned Sonko from visiting the country over graft allegations during his term in office.
In a statement on his official X account on Tuesday, May 20, Sonko expressed gratitude to US President Donald Trump’s administration for lifting the ban.
Sonko claims that some corrupt officials in the country, whom he did not name, had pushed for the ban three years ago.
“Thank you, President Donald Trump, for lifting my travel ban to the US. Details to follow. Those who implicated me are the ones who are most corrupt in this country,” he said.
On March 8, 2022, the then Counsellor for Public Affairs, Eric Watnik, said that Sonko, together with his immediate family, his wife, and two daughters, were no longer eligible to travel to the US.
According to the US, the move was based on his “involvement in significant graft” during his tenure as governor, including allegedly demanding bribes in exchange for awarding government contracts to his associates.
According to Watnik, the decision was aimed at helping Kenya weed out dishonest officials in the country.
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“The Department of State is also announcing the designation of the following members of Sonko’s immediate family: his wife, Primrose Mwelu Nyamu Mbuvi; their daughters, Saumu Agnes Mbuvi and Salma Wanjiru Mbuvi; and Sonko’s minor child,” the US said.
“This designation is made under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021. Under this authority, designated officials of foreign governments involved in significant graft and their immediate family members are ineligible for entry into the United States,” it added.
In his response, immediately after the ban was announced, Sonko claimed that the move was politically motivated and the US was overlooking other major graft cases in the country.
The former Nairobi boss further slammed the US for focusing on him instead of other pressing issues that were affecting the world.
“None of my family members was ever awarded any tender by the county when I was in office, and it is in the public domain. The Embassy should come out publicly and tell Kenyans the truth,” he said in a statement.
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