By Grace Gichui for STD
The Ethics and Anti-corruption commission (EACC) detectives and police officers have arrested ex-Nairobi Governor Dr. Evans Kidero at his Muthaiga home in Nairobi. Kidero was taken to EACC headquarters at Integrity Centre for questioning.
The officers raided Kidero’s home on Thursday at around 2am and until his arrest, they had been camping at the residence in search of money and documents on the graft cases against the ex-governor. He wondered what evidence the detectives were looking for yet they did not find anything at his home in their first raid. “I was arrested on the 9th of August. We have been in court twice and there is no evidence adduced. This morning, EACC came with a search warrant for my house. It would appear to me that they are looking for evidence because they never had evidence to arrest me in the first place. They should have had evidence before arresting me,” he said.
He said the officers were searching for what they don’t know. “And this is pure harassment, it is a violation of my rights and we will not take this lying down. We will fight to the end,” he added.
Kidero was on August, 8, 2018 arrested by EACC detectives and questioned at their headquarters at Integrity Centre. On the orders of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Kidero and six former county officials were arraigned in court and charged with corruption and other economic crimes. The Six officials charged alongside Kidero are County Secretary Lilian Ndegwa, Former finance and planning executive Gregory Mwakanongo, former chief finance officer Jimmy Mutuku, former accounting head Stephen Osiro, former acting head of Treasury Maurice Okere and Luke Mugo who was the former acting chief finance officer.
In the first count, Kidero with former Head of Treasury Maurice Ochieng’ Okere were charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption leading to the loss of Sh213 million from the NCC. “On diverse dates between January 16, 2014 and January 25, 2016, at Nairobi City County, (the accused) jointly conspired to commit a fraud leading to loss of public funds in the sum of Sh213,327,300 for services not rendered,” read the charge sheet.
The other suspects who worked with companies Lodwar Wholesalers Ltd and Ngurumani Traders Ltd were Ms Grace Njeri and Mr John Githua – The duo was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, which caused the county government to lose shs213,327,300 between years 2014 and 2016. Allegedly, the suspects conspired to authorise the payment of cash to various companies for services that were not offered. It is reported that Lodwar Wholesalers Ltd, on different dates, deposited sh24 million to ex-governor Kidero. However, the suspects denied all the charges against them. Dr. Kidero was later released after posting a cash bail of Sh2 million.
