Joe Sang, 4 other KPC officials freed on Sh2 million bail

What you need to know:

  • The five accused were released on Sh2-million cash bail each after their lawyer, Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, argued that the charges were “generic and not serious”.

  • The prosecution did not oppose their release on bail but asked the court to issue strict bail terms.

Suspended Kenya Pipeline Company Managing Director Joe Sang and four other senior officials of the state corporation have been charged over the loss of funds in the Kisumu oil jetty project.

Mr Sang, Ms Gloria Khafafa, Mr Vincent Korir Cheruiyot, Mr Billy Aseka and Mr Nicholas Gitobu, who spent the weekend in police cells, appeared before Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti at Milimani in Nairobi on Monday morning.

They faced charges of abuse of office and failure to comply with procedures relating with management of public funds over the construction of the Sh1.9-billion jetty.

The five accused were released on Sh2-million cash bail each after their lawyer, Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, argued that the charges were “generic and not serious”.

The prosecution did not oppose their release on bail but asked the court to issue strict bail terms.

The court also ordered the accused to execute a personal bond of Sh2 million or bond of Sh3 million with one surety of similar amount.

They are also required to deposit their passports in court. The case will be mentioned on January 22, 2019.

The five were among 27 suspects— including National Hospital Insurance Fund CEO Geoffrey Mwangi— that were arraigned in Nairobi to face corruption-related charges on Monday.

The suspects were charged separately and 21 faced seven counts over the NHIF scam, in which Sh1.1 billion is suspected to have been lost.

Those who faced charges over the NHIF scam are board members Mudzo Nzili and Yussuf Ibrahim, former CEO Simon Kirgotty, acting company secretary Ruth Makallah, senior IT official Gilbert Gathuo Kamau and assistant financial manager Irene Rono.

Others are Pamela Nyaboke, Gibson Kamau Muhuhu, Jacinta Mwangi, Kennedy Wakhu, Fredrick Sagwe, Millicent Mwangi, Darius Mbogo, Danson Muchemi Njunji, Elly Nyaim Ogut and Robert Mureithi, the head of Web Tribe, which trades as Jambo Pay.

They were accused of engaging in a project without prior planning, willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement, abuse of office, willful failure to comply with the law relating to the management of public funds, deceiving a principal and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.