The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has dropped corruption charges against Edith Kimani who is the daughter of the Ministry of Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Kimani Ngunjiri.
Edith Kimani was charged alongside seven others with misappropriation of public funds in the construction of market sheds at Kiratina market in Nakuru County.
Moreover, the former Nakuru County Chief Officer for Trade was arrested and charged in court on January 31, 2023, alongside other suspects including officers of the Nakuru County Government and the directors of Levi contractors which was the company contracted to construct the Kiratina market sheds.
The suspects were apprehended after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) received allegations that the county government of Nakuru had paid around Ksh.10 million for the construction of Kiratina market.
As such, there were allegations that that Levi contractors limited constructed only one market shed instead of two as per the tender.
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According to the investigation reports, the market shed built collapsed before it was handed over to the county because the contractor engaged I the project was incompetent.
The shed has never been completed to date.
Furthermore, a probe into the matter revealed the following.
- Levi Contractors was paid Ksh. 3,972,849.20 but did not construct two sheds
- The procurement was marred by irregularities
- The alleged members of the tender opening Committee did not take part in the tender opening exercise
- No tender opening register was ever opened
- Levi Contractors did not submit a valid Tax Compliance Certificate
- Its Tax Compliance Certificate expired on 27th January 2017 before the tendering process commenced.
Nevertheless, in a new development, the DPP withdrew the charges against the first accused Edith Wanjiru Kimani.
He told the court that the evidence against Kimani was not enough to sustain charges against her.
However, the other suspects were charged afresh on Tuesday, March 28, based on an amended charge sheet.
The case is set to be mentioned on the 11th of April 2023 ahead of a hearing on the 16th and 17th of October 2023.