Major graft-related cases lined up in court this week

Several corruption, economic crimes and public asset recovery cases involving a governor, former county officials, public officers and private companies are scheduled for hearing in courts across the country this week, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

The matters, scheduled between July 6 and July 10, include hearings, mentions, rulings and judgments in cases involving alleged conflict of interest, fraudulent acquisition of public property, procurement irregularities, recovery of public funds and recovery of public land worth billions of shillings.

Among the key criminal cases lined up is that involving Bomet Governor Hillary Kipng'eno Barchok and another accused person.

The case, set for hearing before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on July 7, relates to alleged conflict of interest over claims that the governor received Sh151.2 million in benefits from companies that traded with the Bomet County Government between the 2019-20 and 2024-25 financial years.

The Lodwar Law Court is expected to deliver judgment on Monday in a case involving former Turkana County Executive Committee member for Infrastructure, Transport and Public Works Benson Lokwang.

Lokwang is charged with allegedly falsifying academic records that the commission says he used to secure employment in the Turkana County Government.

The Milimani Anti-Corruption Court will also deliver judgment on Friday in a suit seeking recovery of Sh903,000 allegedly received irregularly as allowances from the National AIDS Control Council by Catherine Mumma.

The same court is expected to issue rulings on Wednesday in a suit seeking recovery of Sh7.5 million allegedly paid illegally as a grant by the National AIDS Control Council to Michael Chesikau and another seeking recovery of Sh679,727 in salaries allegedly fraudulently paid by the Homa Bay County Government to Lilian Achieng Okumu.

In Mombasa, Tubmun Otieno Ochogo and three others will face hearing over allegations of willful failure to comply with procurement laws relating to the payment of Sh4.2 million by the Mombasa County Government for a training programme that allegedly did not take place.

The Kapsabet Law Court will hear a case involving former Nandi County Government employees Solomon Kirwa Magut and another accused person, who are charged with conflict of interest, fraudulent acquisition of public property and uttering a false document over allegations they influenced the award of tenders worth Sh24.1 million to companies linked to them.

Former Marsabit ward administrator Halkano Hallo Dabasso is also scheduled to appear before the Isiolo Law Court over allegations of fraudulently acquiring Sh1.9 million in salaries and using forged KCSE and diploma certificates to secure employment.

The commission is also pursuing several recovery suits involving alleged loss of public funds.

Among them is a mention of a suit seeking recovery of Sh330.5 million allegedly paid unlawfully to Auditel Kenya as advance payment to a contractor.

Other mentions involve recovery of Sh1.5 billion allegedly acquired fraudulently from the National Treasury under the Programme for Rural Outreach of Financial Innovations and Technologies (PROFIT), Sh253.3 million allegedly paid for non-existent procurement contracts, Sh51.5 million allegedly paid by the Garissa County Government for goods not delivered and services not rendered, Sh38.9 million alleged to be proceeds of corruption involving an employee of the Marsabit County Government, and Sh12.4 million in outstanding imprest involving a former Taita Taveta County Government employee.

The Nyeri Law Court will also mention a procurement case involving Joseph Kimemia Thuita and three others over the alleged irregular award of a Sh13.5 million county branding tender by the Nyandarua County Government.

The commission is also pursuing several public land recovery cases before the Environment and Land Court.

Among them is a suit in Naivasha seeking recovery of Naivasha Municipal Block 5/285, Block 5/590 and Block 5/291, public land valued at Sh1.7 billion that the commission says was illegally acquired by private individuals.

Other land recovery hearings involve parcels belonging to the Kenya Railways Corporation along Dennis Pritt Road in Nairobi, land reserved for a children's playground in Nairobi West, public land in Eldoret Municipality, land in Parklands reserved for a social hall, and parcels in Nanyuki, Kapsabet, Thika and Nyeri.

The Milimani Environment and Land Court will also mention a suit against Rubis Energy Kenya PLC and eight others seeking recovery of public land allegedly allocated to Kenol Kobil PLC.