Nairobi – Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has chastised the United States for slapping him with a travel ban for alleged corruption.

Sonko said the Joe Biden administration’s decision to bar him and his family from traveling to the United States is not justified “because I’m not corrupt.”

“I have not been convicted of any corruption-related charges because the cases are still pending in court awaiting trial,” Sonko said in a statement shortly after the United States announced the ban on him. his wife Primrose, his daughters Saumu and Salma and his minor child.

The United States announced the trip on its website, citing Sonko’s corrupt past as governor.

“The US State Department designates former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko Gidion Mbuvi Kioko because of his involvement in significant corruption. During his tenure, Governor Sonko solicited bribes and bribes. de-wine in exchange for awarding government contracts to his associates. His actions have undermined the rule of law and public confidence in Kenya’s democratic institutions and public processes,” he said.

But in a quick retort, Sonko told the United States to focus on Russian Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine.

“I urge the United States to investigate their ambassador and focus on fighting PUTIN who killed millions of innocent lives in Ukraine like they did Osama bin Laden,” the former governor said. , adding that the US Embassy in Nairobi is ungrateful for his efforts to demolish a building under construction in his neighborhood while in office.

“The least the US Embassy forgets that I was the one who helped them demolish a building next to their Embassy which had become a nuisance to them even after reporting the owner who was trying to bribe me with Ksh. 100M. The previous governor didn’t help that they brought him down because of his corruption,” he said.

And he questioned why the stock came out after announcing he would defend his seat in the August election.

‘Why is this coming out a day after I said I will defend my seat in August?’ he asked, calling for the arrest of people he described as corruption suspects known, including the governor who made offers to their wives. and children.

“There are only 2 governors who have been charged in court for giving their wives and children offers, but not me,” he said. “None of my family has ever received an offer from the county when I was in office and this is in the public domain, the embassy should come out publicly and tell the Kenyans the truth. My wife and children n never provided even a spoon or toilet paper to the town hall, neither directly nor indirectly.

Sonko was impeached in 2020 for abuse of power and corruption allegations and is already facing corruption charges in court. He’s on bail.