Four ex-governors expected in court this week in high-profile graft cases

Four ex-governors with various graft-related cases are among high-profile corruption suspects expected at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court Nairobi this week.

They include former Migori County boss Okoth Obado who is charged alongside his three children as well as former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero.

Others are ex-governors Sospeter Ojaamong (Busia) and Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) whose cases are at different stages as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) pursues recovery of stolen public funds.

Ojaamong and his accomplices will also be in court on Wednesday, March 20, for the hearing of a case where they are charged with conspiracy to commit fraud after spending Sh8 million paying for a feasibility study for solid waste management.

Obado has been charged alongside his children with misappropriation of public funds belonging to Migori county where they are accused of embezzling Sh73.4 million.

They also face charges of money laundering, unlawful acquisition of public property, abuse of office and conspiracy to commit an economic crime.

Their case will be heard for three consecutive days from Tuesday.

EACC is seeking to recover Sh58 million from Kidero and his 13 accomplices accused of having embezzled from the Nairobi County Government. Their case will be heard on Tuesday.

Waititu and his 12 accomplices are charged over Sh25.6 million irregularly paid to a company linked to the politician.

Abuse of office

The ex-governor and his accomplices face charges of conflict of interests, abuse of office and dealing with suspect property.

Also expected at the dock is Embakasi North MP James Mwangi Gakuya.

The case where Gakuya and his 10 accomplices who were already charged with looting Sh39.9 million from the Embakasi North CDF will be heard at the Milimani Law Courts on Wednesday and Thursday.

Another notable case includes that of Esther Wangechi Ngeru accused of siphoning Sh34.1 million from the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning between February 2020 and June 2022 in irregular and fraudulent allowances.

On Wednesday, the Anti-Corruption Court will also be hearing an application by the EACC to recover Sh18.9 million from a junior accountant at the Ministry of Treasury suspected to have been illegally acquired.

The former lands chief officer in the Kitui county government is also expected in court on Monday, March 18.

Shadrack Muli Munyithya is charged alongside four others with willful failure to comply with procurement regulations and abuse of office owing to Sh891 million paid before ensuring that the funds were provided for in the county’s 2015/2016 financial year.