Verdict in Bungoma wheelbarrow case postponed to June 7

A Kakamega court has for the second time deferred judgement in the case against seven individuals charged with inflating the cost of ten wheelbarrows in Bungoma County in 2015.

The suspects will have to wait for another week before knowing their fate after Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng’ set June 7 as the new date for the delivery of the judgement.

The magistrate told journalists that he could not proceed with the case as earlier planned due to pile up of work at his station.

“We apologise for any inconveniences caused by the postponement of the judgement yet again. There have been several changes at the station including the posting of a new presiding judge and this has necessitated that I defer the matter until June 7,” said Mr Ochieng.

On Wednesday, the outgoing presiding judge Ruth Sitati who has been moved to the High Court in Kapenguria, West Pokot handed over to Justice William Musyoka from the Mlimani Law Courts, Nairobi.

At the magistrate’s court, people had turned up in large numbers to wait for the judgement, unaware the matter had been put off to another date.

Those accused are the tender committee chairman Mr Howard Lukadilu, vice chairman, Mr Oscar Onyango Ojwang’ and accounting officer Mr John Juma Matsanza.

Others are Mr Ayub Tuvaka China, Arlington Shikuku Omushieni, Jacqueline Nanjala Namukali and Reuben Cheruiyot Rutto.

They are accused of buying ten non-carcinogenic wheelbarrows for use in a slaughterhouse in Bungoma County.

Each of the wheelbarrows was supplied by Jagla Enterprises at a cost of Sh109,320 causing public uproar.

The wheelbarrows were procured during the reign of former governor Kenneth Lusaka, now Senate Speaker.

During the hearing, the accused Lawyer, Sylvester Madialo faulted the prosecution saying it had failed to prove its case against them.

Mr Mandialo asked the court to dismiss the case.