Lands Chief Administrative Secretary Kimani Ngunjiri's daughter, Edith Kimani, was offered a reprieve after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dropped corruption charges against her on Tuesday, March 28.
According to the DPP, the evidence against Kimani was insufficient to sustain charges against her. Kimani, a former Chief Officer for Trade in Nakuru, was accused of graft alongside six other former Nakuru County officials.
The accused included Jackson Maingi Keiro, Nickson Kibet Cheruyoit, Anne Njeri Muranja, Florence Karanja Wanjiku, Edith Wangari Maina and Jane Njoki Mwaura.
Haji had charged the six for allegedly colluding to steal public funds meant for constructing market sheds in Nakuru.
In particular, Haji cited the construction of the Kiratina market in Menengai Ward.
The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC), in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), conducted an inquiry and recommended charges against the accused and contractors.
According to EACC, the contractors only managed to build one market shed instead of the agreed two, which were to cost nearly Ksh10 million.
EAC also revealed that the contractors were only paid Ksh3.9 million instead of the Ksh10 million released by the County Government.
Unfortunately, one market shed collapsed a few months after being constructed at Kiratina market.
Further, investigators noted that the tender committee members did not participate in the opening exercise, as alleged. Reports claimed that no tenders were registered.
Contractors who won the tenders were also accused of failing to submit a valid Tax Compliance Certificate. Documents presented allegedly expired on January 27, 2017, before the tendering process began.
The seven persons of interest were arrested and charged on January 31, 2023, after DPP Noordin Haji preferred charges.
Among the high-profile cases that Haji previously dropped included corruption cases against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, former Kenya Power Managing Director Ben Chumo, Kenya Pipeline MD Joe Sang and former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.
