An old video of Mike Sonko, the former Nairobi governor, has resurfaced online, sparking amusement and disbelief across social media. In the footage, Sonko can be seen flaunting his M-Pesa balances and Fuliza borrowing limit, igniting discussions about wealth, social media behaviour, and public image.
The video, which dates back to May, shows Sonko reacting angrily after a friend reversed a KSh 10,000 M-Pesa payment following a night out. Sonko insisted he never requested the refund and was surprised when Safaricom contacted him about the transaction. In a bid to prove he was not financially struggling, Sonko staged an elaborate display from his office.
Seated with only a towel on, he brandished several Samsung foldable phones, opening the M-Pesa app on each device. On the first three phones, he revealed balances of KSh 303,000, KSh 155,000, and KSh 134,000 respectively. The final phone garnered the most attention: after a brief struggle with the fingerprint verification, Sonko entered his PIN—carefully hidden from the camera—and displayed a balance of KSh 105,000. The standout figure, however, was his Fuliza overdraft limit of KSh 42,000.
The Fuliza number quickly became the focal point online, with many joking that Sonko’s borrowing limit matched or exceeded their entire monthly salary. Others questioned how the mobile loan service calculates such limits, while many simply laughed at the extravagance of the display.
The video has reignited debates about wealth, public image, and ostentatious behaviour on social media. For Sonko, whose flamboyant lifestyle and larger-than-life persona are already well-documented, the clip adds another colourful chapter to his public legacy. It also highlights the ongoing fascination Kenyans have with displays of money and status, particularly when shared online in dramatic fashion.
While some view the video as pure entertainment, others have criticised it as unnecessary showiness. Either way, it has captured widespread attention, reinforcing Mike Sonko’s reputation as one of Kenya’s most colourful and unpredictable public figures.
By Nairobihub