Former nominated Senator Joy Gwendo pleads guilty to theft charges

Former Senator Joy Gwendo in the dock at a Milimani court where she was charged with several counts of stealing money and issuing bad cheques. [George Njunge/Standard]

Former nominated Senator Joy Gwendo has pleaded guilty to abuse of office charges after a plea bargaining agreement with DPP Noordin Haji.

The former lawmaker has agreed to pay the Kisumu East Cotton Growers Cooperative Sacco Sh1.7 million, the amount of money she is said to have stolen.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, Gwendo also pleaded guilty to three of five counts of theft and issuing of bad cheques.

In January this year, the former nominated senator was accused of forging a Sh200, 000 cheque drawn from a Kenya Commercial Bank account in favour of Kivuli Development Initiative and signed by Willy Kipkorir Bett.

Two other counts stated that she issued two forged cheques of Sh300, 000 and Sh950, 000 respectively at the KICC in December 2016.

An abuse of office charge also stated that she used her position as a state official to confer a benefit of Sh2 million.

Gwendo will be sentenced on December 7 after returning stolen funds.