An assistant chief in Nyeri was on Thursday charged in an Othaya court with stealing two dogs.
The dogs are the property of Nairobi-based televangelist Thomas Wahome of Helicopter Church.
Paul Gachiri Wageni, the assistant chief for Kiandemi sublocation, was accused of stealing the dogs, Terrier breed, valued at Sh300,000 on unknown dates in December 2016.
the administrator allegedly stole the dogs at Kihuri village in Othaya, Nyeri county.
He was released on a cash bail of Sh100,000 or a bond of Sh200, 000 after denying the charges before Othaya senior resident magistrate Monica Munyendo.
The administrator also faced a second count of handling stolen property on December 6, 2018 at Kihuri village.
The court was told that the accused, otherwise than in the course of stealing, he dishonestly received and retained one dog which charge he also denied.
The magistrate ordered the prosecution to supply him with copies of witness statements.
The hearing will start on June 4.
Documents in possession of the prosecution stated that the complainant bought the dogs, a male and female, in December 2014 in Arusha, Tanzania.
The canines were transported to Kenya by air when they were only three months old.
He ferried them to his rural home in Othaya later.
The 39-year-old Wahome wrote in his statement to the police that the dogs were under the care of his farm manager Stephen Macharia Ndichu.
Ndichu later informed him that they had been stolen.
But the 55-year-old assistant chief told investigating officer Willy Businei that he bought the dogs from Wahome’s mother, Antonia Njambi, in March 2013.
The statement indicates that he bought the two dogs at Sh200 each.
“After about two weeks since I bought them, the male puppy passed away and I remained with the female,” the statement read.
The said female dog has delivered twice, it adds.
