Former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko recently caused a stir on social media after publicly calling out a friend who reversed a KSh 10,000 M-Pesa transaction made during a night out. According to Sonko, the money was sent voluntarily by his friend in an apparent attempt to impress women who were present during their outing. The flashy politician claimed that the gesture was purely for show, as the friend was trying to appear generous in front of the crowd.
However, the following morning, Sonko received a surprise call from Safaricom notifying him that the sender had requested a reversal of the transaction. This unexpected move infuriated Sonko, who described it as dishonest and shameful. Speaking online, he questioned how someone could send money on their own accord and then try to retrieve it later without a valid explanation. “He wanted to prove to the women that he could spend, then in the morning, he calls Safaricom for reversal? Shame on you,” Sonko stated.
He further emphasized that he never asked for the money and pointed out that the friend’s actions were misleading and akin to being conned. “If you don’t have money, just say so. Don’t behave like a fraud,” he said. To prove he was not in financial distress and did not need the money, Sonko shared screenshots of his M-Pesa statements and balances from multiple devices. He made it clear that the money was insignificant to him and reiterated that the bill for the night was his responsibility all along.
Sonko also contacted Safaricom customer service during the online rant and asked them not to approve the reversal. He insisted that the transfer was done in bad faith and was possibly a calculated attempt to embarrass him. He expressed his disappointment in the friend’s behavior and remarked that the money would have been better spent supporting local traders in need.
To further drive his point home, Sonko made a tongue-in-cheek promise to distribute the KSh 10,000 in small denominations to market vendors. He also flaunted his expensive clothing and accessories, including high-end designer brands, to demonstrate that he was financially stable and did not need the cash that was sent to him in the first place.
The incident quickly went viral online and triggered a wave of reactions from the public. Many people criticized the friend for trying to reverse the money, especially after doing it to impress others. Others poked fun at the situation, praising Sonko for standing up against fake displays of wealth.
In a separate incident that also drew attention, Sonko’s luxury Lexus LX-570 reportedly ran out of fuel while he was out for a Sunday drive in February. He expressed surprise over the incident, using it as an opportunity to comment on the rising cost of fuel, even joking that not even he was immune to such financial inconveniences.
