Two water MDs accused of stealing chlorine worth over Sh700,000

A decision in February last year to bail out a water company in Kitui that had run out of purifying chemicals has landed two managing directors in court.

Yatta Water Services Company MD Augustus Mboya and the immediate former Kitui Water and Sanitation Company boss, Geoffrey Kitonga, have been charged for allegedly trading in 'not for sale' government chlorine worth Sh743,850.

Although the incident took place last year, it took year-long investigations by DCI sleuths before a decision was arrived at to charge the two water MDs. 

On Wednesday, Mboya and Kitonga, whose five-year reign at the Kitwasco lapsed on February 28, were charged at the Kithimani law court.

They both pleaded not guilty and were each released on a Sh200,000 bond and a surety of a similar amount. The case will be mentioned on March 30.

Mboya faced two charges - one of stealing by director and the other of abuse of office. Kitonga on his part faced the charge of violating procurement procedure.

Details of the first charge against Mboya said that on February 9 last year at Matuu Township in Yatta subcounty, Machakos county, being the MD of Yatta Water Service Company, he allegedly stole 50 buckets of calcium hydrochlorite valued at Sh743,850.

The water chemicals were the property of the Kenya government and was labelled 'not for sale', which came into Mboya’s possession by virtue of his employment.

The second charge said that on same date he arbitrarily spent Sh743,850 from the water company in abuse of authority of his office.

Kitonga was charged that on February 9 last year in Kitui town, being the MD of Kitwasco, he violated the procurement procedures in the purchase of 50 buckets of calcium hydrochlorite by paying Sh743,850 to Yatta Water Service Company.

The particulars further said such a payment was a violation of laid down procedures as per the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act of 2015.