Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has claimed that the United States has lifted the travel ban imposed on him and his immediate family in 2022 over allegations of corruption during his tenure.
Sonko expressed his gratitude to former US President Donald Trump’s administration for lifting the ban in a statement posted on his official X account on May 20, 2025, asserting that some corrupt officials in Kenya had orchestrated the ban against him.
Sonko wrote, “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.”
This comes after the Biden administration had barred Sonko, his wife Primrose Mwelu Nyamu Mbuvi, their two daughters, and a minor child from entering the US, citing his “involvement in significant graft” including allegations of demanding bribes in exchange for awarding government contracts.
The ban was announced in March 2022 by Eric Watnik, then Counsellor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy in Nairobi, under Section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2021, which targets foreign officials involved in significant corruption and their immediate family members.
Sonko has consistently denied the allegations, describing the US move as politically motivated and unfairly targeting him while ignoring other major corruption cases in Kenya.
He also refuted claims that his family benefited from county tenders during his governorship, stating publicly that none of his family members ever received contracts from Nairobi City Hall.
Following the ban’s imposition, Sonko urged the US government to investigate their ambassador in Kenya and criticized the focus on him instead of other global issues, such as the conflict in Ukraine.
As of now, the US government has not officially confirmed the lifting of the ban. Sonko’s announcement remains a claim, and further details are awaited.
