Ex-Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero will be arraigned in court hours after his arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers Wednesday evening, and grilled at Integrity Centre for abuse of office and money laundering charges.
Dr Kidero and eight other individuals were arrested and will be charged with bribery, conflict of interest and failure to protect public funds.
According to Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, there is sufficient evidence to charge them.
Other suspects who were arrested alongside the ex-governor include are Lilian Wanjiru Ndegwa, Jimmy Mutuku Kiamba, Gregory Mwanakongo, Stephen Ogago, Luke Mugo Gatimu, Maurice Ochieng Okere, John Githua Njogu, Grace Njeri, companies Lodwar Wholesalers Ltd and Ngurumani Traders Ltd.
According to his Lawyer Tom Ojienda said: “We do not want to speculate on any charges against my client just yet. We will however know everything tomorrow morning at the court.
He further added saying, Mr Ojienda was accompanied by Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo and Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga.
Kidero was elected as the first governor of Nairobi County in the Nairobi gubernatorial elections of 2013 on an ODM ticket.
Following a petition by Ferdinand Waititu, who ran against him in the gubernatorial election, Kidero was ousted as Nairobi Governor, with the court citing electoral malpractices.
Kidero was later reinstated by the Supreme Court following an appeal that overturned the decision of the Court of Appeal. In 2017 elections, Evans Kidero will be seeking to defend the positions under competition by current Senator Mike Sonko, 2013 presidential aspirant Peter Kenneth, and business woman Esther Passaris.
Dr. Kidero is married to Susan Mboya, daughter of the late Kenyan politician, Tom Mboya. He has three children from a previous marriage to the late Abigail Odhiambo Kidero.
Kidero lost to Mike Sonko on the 2017 election.
Capital Markets Authority have in the past accused Kidero of loss of billions of shillings at Mumias Sugar Company terming the move as ‘pure political witch-hunt.
According to CMA report the financial operations of the company between 2006 and 2016, linked Kidero to financial mess at the sugar company.
The money, the report says, was allegedly swindled by the managers through discounts given to selected customers of the company between 2009 and 2012.
But Kidero responded saying that the CMA’s move to implicate him in the embezzlement of the money was pure political witch hunt, meant to embarrass and scuttle his chances of being re-elected as Nairobi Governor last year.
Kidero explained that he was made aware of the investigations into the financial and operational challenges of the company through a letter by CMA’s chief executive officer Paul Muthaura on October 23, 2015, inviting him for an interview.
The interview, Muthaura said in the letter, was in regards to an independent forensic investigation on Mumias Sugar Company that was being carried out by a UK firm – BDO LLP – contracted by the market’s dog to undertake the probe.
The former city boss honoured the invitation and the interview was done at the Authority’s premises on November 12, 2015.
He met the new firm on February 2, 2017, after which, it went silent again until July 26, 2017 when they wrote a letter asking him to respond by August 9, 2017, a day after the general elections. Kidero, through his lawyer James Ochieng’ Oduol protested the move.
Kidero, through the lawyer, argued that timing of the notice to show cause “appears to be politically instigated and malafides.”