Blog Page 384

TONGUES WAG AT THE ATHLETICS BODY.

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National Olympics Committee-Kenya (Nock) officials, vice-chairman Pius Ochieng and Secretary General, Francis K Paul at Milimani law Court’s on Monday August 29,2016.

BY SAM ALFAN.

Tongues are now wagging at the athletics body with officials being charged and released over the unbecoming Rio Olympics fiasco.

Two of National Olympics Committee-Kenya (Nock) officials, vice-chairman Pius Ochieng and Secretary General, Francis K Paul released on a Sh200,000 bond while a third, Chef-de-Mission, Stephen arap Soi, failed to show up in court.

The court was told that he has been admitted at Nairobi Hospital.

The officials will also be reporting twice a week to the Serious Crimes Unit at the Directorate of Criminal Investigation headquarters starting this Friday.

The accused should not appear at any premises owned or controlled by Nock, should not contact any possible witnesses in regards to the ongoing investigation, should deposit their passports in court immediately and should not move out of the country without the express permission of the court.

Proceedings resume September 19.

Soi was released on a bond of Sh50,000 due to health grounds.

The prosecutor says that investigations will stretch as far as from the day the National Trials were conducted, the residential training and up to the manner in which the Kenyan team to Rio Olympic Games was managed to be able to determine if there was criminal culpability against the suspects and any other persons.

JSC CANNOT GIVE THE PRESIDENT CONDITIONS TO APPOINT NEW CJ.

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High Court Judge George Odunga has prohibited the Judicial Service Commission from making any
recommendations to the President on who should be appointed as the CJ, DCJ or a Supreme Court Judge.

BY SAM ALFAN.

The body tasked with giving Kenyans a new Chief Justice cannot give the President conditions to appoint the CJ or their deputy.

The High Court has prohibited the Judicial Service Commission from making any recommendations to the President on who should be appointed as the CJ, DCJ or a Supreme Court Judge.

Justice George Odunga also tasked JSC to reconsider other applicant names it earlier rejected.

He also ruled that some clearance documents should not have been used before the interview stage.

The court further ruled that a decision to summarily reject
applications before the stage of interview was unsupported by law and was tainted with procedural irregularities.

Rights activists wants the court to stop the
interviews which started today.

They also want the whole process of short listing done afresh arguing that the entire process was flawed.

However Judge Odunga disagreeing with the applicants said, “There was no affidavit filed in court by the applicants to support an allegation that there was discrimination. The applicants did not request for documents in the interview stage, therefore I cannot rule that there was
discrimination.”

The petitioners argued that the  requirements that candidates must
present clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority,
Higher Education Loans Board is likely to lock out potential,
qualified candidates, an argument that the court court validated that despite those
certificates being very important in determining the integrity of the
next chief justice, they could not be used at the shortlisting stage.

Those who were not shortlisted for the interview include Supreme Court
judge Jacktone Ojwang, Prof Makau Mutua among others.

YOUTH FUND BOSSES CHARGED FOR STEALING ALMOST HALF A BILLION SHILLINGS.

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From Right suspended Youth Fund Chief Executive Officer Catherine Namuye, Chairman Bruce Odhiambo, Mukuria Ngamau and Doreen Waithera Nganga at Nairobi Anti-corruption Court where they were charged with corruption on Friday August 26, 2016
BY SAM ALFAN.

Youth Fund top officials have been charged with defrauding the kitty nearly half a billion shillings.

They were however released on a Sh5 million with an alternative cash bail of Sh2 million.

Mukuria Ngamau and Doreen Waithera Ng’ang’a, directors of Quorandum Limited were however released on a cash Bail of Sh1 million each.

They were charged with multiple economic crimes.

They denied all the charges.

The plea taking was delayed for several hours awaiting those arrested in Mombasa yesterday to arrive in Court.

They were airlifted to Nairobi today at 10am and Checked at Jomo Kenyatta international Airport at 11:10 am.

The couple’s accounts had been frozen.

They were also directed to deposits their travelling documents in court.

Hearing fixed 18,21 and 22 November 2016.

BUSINESSMAN SPILLS THE BEAN ON CITY HALL CORRUPTION.

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Former County secretary Lilian Ndegwa , chief finance officer Jimmy Kiamba ,Regina Rotich, Stephen Osiro and Nancy Kiruri before Anti-Corruption court Nairobi(FILE PHOTO).

BY SAM ALFAN

Businessman Charles Irungu has spilled the beans on how top Nairobi County officials ‘prepare’ documents to defraud the goverment money in shady procurement deals.

Some of the documents forged include certificate of registration for a business, letter heads and voucher receipts, cheques and his signatures.

Irungu, the director of Geoclean Enterprise Limited told the court
that he deals with individuals who give him jobs without giving out any quotations as required by the law.

In his testimony Irungu said that he once fitted blinders-curtains and was paid Sh115,000 in cash.

“I was called by the first accused person, Regina Rotich Chepkemoi at the city hall who asked me to deliver the blinders which I did and was given 115,500 shillings cash,”he said.

He named several top officials in city hall who give him jobs without any quotations without giving them a kick back.

Irungu who was testifying against former County secretary Lilian Ndegwa , chief finance officer Jimmy Kiamba ,Regina Rotich, Stephen Osiro and Nancy Kiruri said that he started supplying stationery at the city hall by introducing himself using his business card and was
given jobs and more jobs.

The defense dismissing his claim labelled Irungu as part of a cartel that is stealing money from the county and never following the procedures passed by the county.

SPORTS DIRECTOR PAYS HIS COMPANY MILLIONS IN ADVERTISING.

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Deputy finance director at Sports Stadium Management Board Francis
Kingori Githaiga before Anti-corruption Court at Milimani Law Court’s on Thursday August 24,2016.
BY SAM ALFAN.

A top finance director at Sports Stadia Management Board, Francis
Kingori Githaiga has been charged with graft.

He was arraigned before Anti-corruption
court this morning on charges of conflict of
interests and failure to disclose a private interest.

The prosecution alleges that on March 16 2012, being an agent
of the sports stadia management Board, he knowingly acquired an interest
in Brandson Limited, a company which had been contracted by Sports
Stadia Management Board to provide advertising services.

It is also alleged that Githaiga being a director of East Africa
Business Times Limited failed to disclose his interest and
participated in the processing of payments by signinging cheques for
over 1.8 million shillings in favor of his company.

He appeared before Anti-corruption magistrate Felix Kombo and was
released on cash bail of Sh1.5 million.

Proceedings resume September 8 with a hearing date set from November 7 and 8

COURT TO CHARGE YOUTH FUND BOSS TOMORROW FOR STEALING MILLIONS.

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Suspended Youth Fund Chair Chief Executive Officer Catherine Namuye and Chairman Bruce Odhiambo before Milimani Ant-corruption Court at Milimani Law court’s on Thursday August 25,2016.
BY SAM ALFAN.

The court has released suspended Youth Fund Chair Bruce Odhiambo and Chief Executive Officer Catherine Namuye on a Sh500, 000 personal Bond before they can be charged tomorrow.

Nairobi Anti-Corruption Magistrate Felix Kombo said that there was no compelling reason to deny Namuye and Odhiambo bail.

This is despite the DPP fierce opposition to their release noting that they are yet to be charged until tomorrow morning at 9:30 A.M.

They will be facing corruption related charges.

The two are said to have conspired to dispose-off public property between November 17 2014 and May 4 2015 through unlawful payment of over Sh180 million youth money to Quorandum Limited for services not rendered.

They are also facing abuse of office charges and making false contracts for the sum of Sh65, 985,000 million for the provision of consultancy services on ICT strategy Design.

Also charged are directors of Quorandum limited Muturi Nyamai, Doreen Waithera Ngangari and their company.

They are said to have unlawfully received Sh115, 710,000.

Namuye is also accused of conferring a benefit to Quorandum for the sum of Sh114, 909,000.

PRESIDENT KENYATTA SIGNS BILL GIVING KENYANS MUCH NEEDED ‘CHEAP LOANS’.

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President Uhuru Kenyatta signing bill capping interest rates by banks.
BY THOMAS KARIUKI.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has signed the bill capping interest rates by banks succeeding where two other attempts failed.

According to a statement by the President, the new law will now be implemented noting the difficulties Kenyans have had to go through at the hands of banks.

Since receiving this Bill, he said, I have consulted widely and it is clear to me from those consultations that Kenyans are disappointed and frustrated with the lack of sensitivity by the financial sector, particularly banks. These frustrations are centered around the cost of credit and the applicable interest rates on their hard–earned deposits.

President Kenyatta said that banks need to do more to reduce the cost of credit and ensure that the benefits of the vibrant financial sector are also felt by their customers.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga and trade unions also urged President Kenyatta to sign into law the Bill seeking to regulate interest rates.

The Bill provides that banks cap their interest on loans at no more than four per cent of Central Bank of Kenya base rates.

Signing this Bill meets one of the backbones of the pre-election pledges by UHURUTO.

However, bankers had petitioned the President to reject the proposed law and let market forces determine interest rates.

The Banking Act (Amendment) Bill 2015 was sponsored by Kiambu Town MP Jude Njomo, saying high interest rates have curtailed growth of local businesses and led to exit of investors to neighbouring countries that have more favourable lending rates.

The head of state said that banks have failed to live up to their promises and interest rates have continued to increase along with the spreads between the deposit and lending rates.

“We will closely monitor these difficulties, particularly as they relate to the most vulnerable segments of our population. Whilst doing so, my Government will also accelerate other reform measures necessary to reduce the cost of credit and thereby create the opportunities that will move our economy to greater prosperity,” the president said.

On July 28, 2016, the National Assembly passed the Banking (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

The Bill intended to regulate interest rates that are applicable to banks’ loans and deposits, capping the interest rates that banks can charge on loans and must pay on deposits.

It was the third time that the National Assembly was attempting to reduce interest rates to affordable levels. In the previous two instances, dialogue and promises of change prevailed and banks avoided the introduction of these caps.

Upon weighing carefully all these considerations, on balance, President Kenyatta said “I have assented to the Bill as presented to me. We will implement the new law” noting the difficulties that it would present, which include credit becoming unavailable to some consumers and the possible emergence of unregulated informal and exploitative lending mechanisms.

ANTI-GRAFT AGENCY OFFICIAL WANTS COURT TO THROW OUT REQUEST TO PROBE HER CONDUCT.

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Ethic and Anti-corruption Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Mubea.
BY SAM ALFAN.

Anti-graft top brass official Rose Mgoi Macharia wants the court to throw out an application requiring to investigate her conduct with a colleague Deputy CEO Michael Mubea.

She filed grounds of opposition in a case where activist Okiya Omutata is accusing her of hatching a plan to have EACC Chairman Phillip Kinisu kicked out of office.

Ms Macharis says that the application by Omutata has no merit and should be dismissed.

“Having being appointed under in procedure laid out in section 6 of the Ethics and Anti-corruption Act 2011 the allegations made against me have already been considered and determined as being baseless and without merit,” she argues.

In her response filed at the Milimani Law Courts Macharia says that the court has no jurisdiction to hear and or determine the application by Omutata.

Omutata wants EACC deputy CEO Michael Mubea and Ms Macharia be named as respondents and not interested party saying that the change is necessary so as to enable him demonstrate that the crisis at the EACC is fueled by the two who are threatened by the changes being fronted by their boss Philip Kinisu.

Omutata further alleges that Deputy CEO Michael Mubea protected four companies at the center of the Anglo-leasing scam.

He says there is correspondence between Mubea and M/s VA Nyamodi and Co Advocates (on behalf of the four Anglo Leasing companies – Sound Day Corporation, Apex Finance, Globetel Incorporated and Midland Finance Securities.

Omtatah says Mubea usurped the powers of the commission to reach a plea-bargain settlement with the suspects.

In the main application, Omtatah wants Mubea compelled to make a full disclosure about 50.4 million shillings . The money was allegedly paid to him in April last year through a law firm.

‘QUACK’ DOCTOR MUGO WA WAIRIMU TO NURSE NIGHT’S IN CUSTODY.

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Fake doctor Mugo wa Wairimu escorted to Milimani law court’s basement cell’s on Wednesday August 24,2016.
BY SAM ALFAN.

Fake doctor Mugo wa Wairimu will today nurse nights in custody for breaking his freedom terms.

This is after he was accused of tapering with witnesses in a case where he is facing rape charges and operating a clinics without a valid licence.

The prosecutor asked Nairobi Chief Magistrate Daniel Ogembo to hold him in detention pending the hearing and determination of the application accusing Mugo wa Wairimu of tampering with witnesses.

Mugo also produced a medical report from a facility in Nairobi indicating he has not been well.

In a quick rejoinder, the prosecution established that said facility offers maternity and ultrasound services, thereby creating confusion over the authenticity of the document. it did not have a rubber stamp.

CM Ogembo said he was not able to make an immediate ruling since mugo’s case had in the past few months been handled by different courts and he needed time to peruse through the file.

Prosecution had in their application indicated that the accused has not been willing to have the case proceed thereby failingt to appear in court on numerous occasions causing numerous adjournments.

They also argued that the accused persons conduct in this case is wanting and that he has been using social media to intimidate one witness who is on witness protection.

Mugo was last year accused of being a quack doctor operating a fake hospital in githurai Zimmerman, Nairobi.

NYERI GOVERNOR NDERITU GACHAGUA IS THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER TO MY CHILD, WOMAN SAYS.

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Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua.

BY THOMAS KARIUKI.

A woman cohabiting with Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua for six years says that despite him having another family, the ‘fruits of their labour’ is the child he has now neglected and as such he ought to shoulder all their needs.

“The defendant and I are the biological parents of the child born subsistence of their cohabitation between 2008 and 2013,” Ms says.

During their cohabitation, Ms says that the governor provided ‘fully’ for their child including school, school related expenses and adequate maintenance.

From January 28 2013, Governor Gachagua deserted the home and barely provided for the child gradually leaving Ms Wanjiru as the sole breadwinner.

It is after the desertion that the woman decided to move from their previous home to a cheaper one in Lavington costing Sh160, 000 per month.

She says that her attempts to ease the financial burden and obtain assistance from the governor have been frustrated by his uncooperative behaviour.

A breakdown of the amounts the woman is demanding as child maintenance and education cost is as follows;

For year 2013 Sh5, 724,600

For year 2014 Sh4, 624,600

For year 2015 4, 624,600 and

For year 2016 Sh3, 121,400

Additionally, Ms Wanjiru is demanding that the governor honors particulars of the child needs ranging from among others a nanny, driver, clothing and grooming, electricity, fuel, DSTV/Cable TV miscellaneous and yearly holidays.

Ms Wanjiru also says that the governor should be compelled by court to shoulder these burdens as they are wearing and tearing her down.

“Pending the hearing and determination of this suit the respondent be ordered to provide adequate and consistent monthly maintenance for the child,” she says

Furthermore she wants to be granted actual care and control of the child with reasonable access to the governor pending the hearing and determination of the suit..