NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 14 – An anti-corruption court in Nairobi has cleared former Treasury Cabinet Secretary (CS) Henry Rotich and eight others accused of graft in the Sh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer Dam scandal.
High Court Magistrate Eunice Nyutu said on Thursday that Rotich and the others had no case to answer and could not be placed on defense based on the evidence that was provided in court.
The court held the prosecution accountable for calling only eight of the 49 witnesses they had planned to call.
“This would appear to be a prosecution led acquittal. All the accused persons in this case are whereby a quite sunder section 201 due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution,” said Nyut
In July 2019, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations detained the CS and eight other people on allegations of embezzling funds intended for the two dams.
The CS was charged alongside Kennedy Nyakundi Nyachiro, Jackson Njau Kinyanjui, David Kipchumba Kimosop, William Kipkemboi Maina, Paul Kipkoech Serem, Francis Chepkonga Kipkech, Titus Murithi and Geoffrey Mwangi Wahungu.
On November 20, Rotich requested an acquittal from the court, arguing that the story about the money being lost or stolen was untrue.
