DPP Haji to nail Kenya Power managers for fake transformers

Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji

Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has claimed the public lost Sh201 million through corrupt deals at Kenya Power.

He said the theft was committed by some top managers through supplying of faulty transformers.

The DPP, through prosecutor Alexander Muteti, gave the figures as he rolled out a summary of the prosecution’s case in the alleged scandal at the power utility firm, which led to the prosecution of former Managing Directors Ben Chumo and Ken Tarus.

“Taxpayers lost Sh201 million for the tender to supply faulty transformers. Investigators managed to save Sh207 million, which would have been fraudulently stolen if the contract and payments continued,” said Muteti.

He said the prosecution would prove that the accused persons defrauded KP through a well choreographed cover-up of their tracks that included filing of a case to justify the payment for the fake transformers.

Chumo and Tarus are charged alongside company secretary Beatrice Meso, Manager Business Strategy KP Mungai, Manager Commercial Services Joshua Mutua, Human Resource Manager Abubakar Swaleh and ICT Manager Samuel Ndirangu.

Others are Infrastructure Development Manager Stanley Mutwiri, Network Manager Benson Muriithi, Regional Co-ordination Manager Peter Mwicigi and Supply Chain Manager John Ombui.

Muwa Trading Ltd, which is said to have supplied the transformers, and its directors James Mungai, Grace Mungai and John Mungai, are also facing the charges that range from conspiracy to commit an economic crime, abuse of office and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

Mr Muteti said the senior managers played a key role in commissioning the offence that was aimed at stealing public funds.

“Contract with Muwa Ltd was entered in August 2012 at approximately Sh408 million, but was terminated after it was realised the transformers were faulty. But KP continued to receive the faulty gadgets, leading to the loss,” he said.

He said by allowing importation of defective transformers and accepting their delivery, the top managers should be individually held responsible for occasioning loss of public funds.

The prosecution said they have lined up a total 45 witnesses.