Ex-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, former MP charged afresh in Sh58m City Hall fraud case
Nine years ago, the former governor of Nairobi, Dr. Evans Kidero, a former city MP, a former mayor, and six former chief accountants were charged with defrauding City Hall of Sh58 million.
Dr. Kidero, whose appointment by President William Ruto was nullified by the High Court, was re-arraigned before Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Felix Kombo in Milimani.
Dr. Kidero was accused alongside former Embakasi Central MP John Ndirangu, former councilor Paul Mutunga Mutungi, former Nairobi County Chief of Staff George Wainaina Njogu, and six former City Hall senior accountants.
Former accountants Ng’ang’a Mungai Ng’ang’a alias Neanealito, Ekaya Alumasi Ghonzour alias Alumasie, James Mimi Mbugua alias JMbugua, Elizabeth Wanjiru Nderitu alias Nderitue, and Alive Njeri Mundia alias Mundiaa have been indicted.
Philomena Kavinya Nzuki alias PKNzuki, the sixth former accountant, was absent from court on Friday because she is grieving. The CUPS Limited and its two directors, John Ngari Wainana and Njogu, are also charged.
Dr. Kidero and his twelve co-defendants denied 15 counts of conspiracy to commit economic crimes, abuse of office, illegal acquisition of public property, and money laundering.
The former county administrator and the twelve others denied conspiring to perpetrate corruption between January 6 and January 16 of 2014 to defraud Nairobi City County of Sh58 million.
Kariuki, a former mayor of Nairobi, was charged with unlawfully receiving Sh8.9 million from the late lawyer Stephen Kariuki Mburu, a partner at the law firm at the center of the multi-million shilling fraud at City Hall.
Both Kidero and Kariuki have been accused of participating in an illegal agreement to purchase a parcel of land with the LR number 10874/1160 (originally numbered 10874/17/2) and an estimated value of Sh25,735,000.
The charge also alleges that a Sh17 million down payment was deposited at a law firm in Mburu towards the purchase of land, with the knowledge that the money was part of the Sh58 million fraudulently siphoned from Nairobi County.
Dr. Kidero was charged separately with illegally acquiring Sh14.4 million from -The CUPS Limited, whose funds were part of the Sh58 million unlawfully paid by Nairobi City County to the law firm Wachira, Mburu Mwangi, and Company Advocates.
Dr. Kidero, Wainaina Njogu, John Ngari Wainaina, and Cups Limited were charged with conspiring to engage in a fraudulent scheme to transfer Sh14 million to Sagar Builders Limited in exchange for services rendered for the sale of a Nairobi property known as plot number 205/46 using criminal proceeds.
The accountants were accused of fraudulently processing the payment of Sh58 million to the law firm Wachira, Mburu, Mwangi, and Company Advocates on January 6, 2014.
As part of the Sh58 million from Nairobi County, Njogu, Wainaina, and The Cups Limited were accused of illegally receiving Sh15 million from the Mburu law firm via the now-deceased Advocate Kariuki.
In addition, a former county councilor, Mr. Mutungi, was accused of receiving Sh5 million as part of the Ksh58 million and concealing Sh2 million to pay off debt via Mwamuye Kimathi Law Firm and Kimani Company Advocates as criminal proceeds.
The final allegation is against Hannah Muthoni Kariuki, who denies receiving illegally Ksh 5.5 million from the deceased attorney who deposited Sh58 million illegally siphoned off from Nairobi County.
After she denied the charges against her, State Prosecutor James Kihara did not oppose the court’s decision to release her on bond.
The defense team headed by Tom Ojienda and Julie Sowete pleaded with the court to release them on the same bail conditions that Magistrate Douglas Ogoti granted them in 2019. Mr. Kombo discharged all of the defendants who had been granted bail in the amount of Sh5 million.
The magistrate, who is transferring, has ordered the litigants to appear before Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki on October 6, 2023, for court assignment and trial date setting.
Philomena Kavinya Nzuki alias PK Nzuki, a former City Hall accountant accused of transferring Ksh58 million to Kariuki’s law firm, was also ordered to appear before Nzyoki to enter a plea. This occurred after she neglected to appear in court following her son’s death.
Kidero and his co-defendant were indicted after failing to halt their prosecution in the High Court.
Ex-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, former MP charged afresh in Sh58m City Hall fraud case
