"I have never dealt in drugs. [Even if you give me cocaine, salt and sugar, I cannot point out which of the three is cocaine."
Those were the words of Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Sunday when asked about his thoughts on the Ibrahim Akasha conviction in the United States for drug-trafficking.
The governor said that he is not wanted by the Americans or the International Criminal Police Organisation, commonly referred to as Interpol.
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"I know there is some funny lists which have been circulating and I think my name is there. I have never dealt in drugs...However, even if you're a drug dealer and are implicated by the US or other countries, first you are barred from traveling and can't get a Visa. Just the other day, a couple of months ago, I was invited to the United Nations General Assembly to represent Africa," said Governor Sonko.
The governor was responding to Ms Anne Kiguta's question on Punchline over what he thought of the Akasha conviction in the United States.
A US court handed the confessed international drug-trafficker 25 years in prison on August 16, 2019.
Asked about the 2010 dossier by the late Internal Security minister George Saitoti, Mr Sonko said the government was fighting him because he was championing for rights of police officers such as the late Erastus Kirui Chemorei.
Chemorei, a senior GSU officer was killed on February 19, 2005, when police officers raided his house in Kitale allegedly to seize fire arms in his possession after a tip off.
At the time of his killing, Chemorei had been tasked with keeping safe a Sh6 billion cocaine haul seized by the government.
"I think Saitoti was given that list by Ranneberger (former US Ambassador to Kenya) by [Michael] Gichangi (former National Intelligence Service director) and I had just joined politics...We were all cleared in that list," said Mr Sonko.
But Ms Kiguta pointed out to Mr Sonko that Mr Ali Punjani — who was also in the Saitoti list — is a wanted man, and faces arrest on Monday when he is expected back in Kenya.
"Why have I not been indicted or arrested or summoned to record a statement on drugs," queried Mr Sonko.
