County assembly officials charged, out on bond

Homa Bay county assembly clerk Bob Kephas (left) and senior accounts controller Maurice Amek in the dock at Homa Bay Court.[James Omoro, Standard]

Five employees and a businessman have been charged with conspiracy to steal Sh997,926 from the Nairobi county assembly.

They include assembly clerk Jacob Ngwele, his deputy Adah Onyango, senior procurement officer James Kariuki, senior finance and planning officer Fredrick Mwangi, principal accountant Philomena Nzuki and businessman Raphael Maluki.

Maluki, the proprietor of Primara Ventures Ltd, is accused of receiving payment for  supply of books, for the assembly's resource centre, before deliveries were made. 

Mr Ngwele faced other charges of abuse of office and wilful failure to comply with procurement rules; by using his office to confer the benefit to Primara Ventures Ltd for goods that were not supplied.

The other officials faced additional charges of undue influence and conflict of interest in contracts awarded by the assembly.

They all denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi, and were released on a cash bail of Sh300,000 each.

In Homa Bay, two assembly officials accused of embezzling Sh27.8 million have been granted bond.

Assembly clerk Bob Kephas and senior accounts controller Maurice Amek denied the charges before Homa Bay Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Obutu yesterday.

The duo are among five assembly officials facing charges of embezzling money during  the 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 financial years

The court withdrew warrants of arrest which had been issued against the officials after they failed to appear in court. They were ordered to surrender their travel documents to the court.