Ngilu, Mbarire kin deny graft charges

Eight people including Water Minister Charity Ngilu’s son-in-law and an Assistant minister’s husband were Friday morning arraigned before a Nairobi court over corruption charges.

The suspects, who include Ngilu’s son-in-law Billy Indeche and Tourism assistant minister Cecily Mbarire’s husband Dennis Apaa, denied defrauding the Water ministry of Sh 26 million and were released on bond.  

They faced charges of conspiracy to defraud, violation of procurement and fraudulent acquisition of public property among others.

Their co-accused are: Lawrence Simitu, Isaiah Amwanzo Benjamin, Samuel Aluoch Otieno, Robert Mati, Joseph Mucuku and Mwagambo Mwangombe.

Principal Magistrate Lucy Nyambura also issued summons to their co-accused Lawrence Nguniko who was not in court.

Mwanzo, Aluoch, Indeche and Apaa  were released on a cash bail of Sh 2 million, while Mati, Mutuku and Mwanome were released on a cash bail of Sh 1 million and a surety of similar amount.

Apaa and Indeche are accused of committing an economic crime by jointly conspiring to defraud the Water Ministry of 26 million shillings purporting to qualify for a tender to sink five boreholes in Machakos and Makueni districts under the emergency drought mitigation programme.

The two are associated with Broad Vision Utilities, a company that has been under investigations over fraud allegations at the Water Ministry.

Their prosecution was recommended by the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)  the successor of the Kenya Anti-Corruption commission and approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko early this week.

The DPP also instructed the EACC to carry out further investigations against Water Minister Charity Ngilu over related corruption allegations.

Tobiko said the evidence produced by the EACC was not sufficient to put her on trial.

Mbarire and her husband were the subject of an alleged sting operation in August led by former KACC Director Patruck Lumumba in which he claimed the duo had tried to bribe him to influence investigations at the Water Ministry.

Mbarire denied the allegations leveled against her and her husband and sued Lumumba for defamation of character.