Lawyer accuses Oyombra of linking him to the 'chicken' scandal

City lawyer Ken Nyaundi has now taken Trevy Oyombra, the man said to have taken kickbacks on behalf of Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), for allegedly linking him to the “chicken” scandal.

Mr Nyaundi (pictured right), who served as a commissioner in the defunct IIEC, wants the High Court to compel Oyombra to pay him damages for allegedly defaming him.

The lawyer also wants Oyombra, who acted for British firm Smith and Ouzman, to be ordered to publish a public apology in three national dailies and the Internet.

Through the law firm of Ogeto and Otachi Advocates, Nyaundi moved to court last Thursday, claiming Oyombra had in public and correspondences, sought bribes ostensibly to give to IIEC officials to secure tenders for ballot printing.

Already, directors of Smith and Ouzman have been convicted in the UK for bribing IIEC and the Kenya National Examination Council officials.

HEAVY BRIBES

Oyombra, who is named in court papers as the British firm’s Kenya agent, is said to have negotiated for heavy bribes allegedly meant for the top officials, including current IEBC chair Issack Hassan, Nyaundi and Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, who served alongside the two as a commissioner.

In court documents, Nyaundi denies having any dealings with the broker, maintaining that during his tenure at IIEC, tendering was open.

“The plaintiff (Nyaundi) avers that he has never in his lifetime met or spoken to Mr Oyombra and his postures and pretensions of having met or spoken to him in order to arrange bribes were selfish inventions crafted and fashioned to procure payments for himself (Oyombra) and such pretensions were highly injurious to my client,” the affidavit from Ogeto and Otachi reads in part.

He says his character and reputation has been impugned on the basis of correspondences by Oyombra to Smith and Ouzman, which he claims were untrue and made without his knowledge or authority.