, NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 2 – Samburu Governor Moses Kasaine has been ordered to deposit a Sh100 million cash bail to secure his release pending trial in a corruption case.
Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti ruled that in the alternative, Kasaine can post a bond of Sh150 million plus one similar surety.
The trial magistrate also directed that he deposit his passport in court and should in the interim keep off the Samburu County offices.
Ogoti said that there are prosecution witnesses whom the governor is likely to interfere with, whose evidence has not been taken by the court.
The governor will be prosecuted alongside 13 chief officers whom the court ordered appear on April 4, 2019 to take plea.
Kasaine and his co-accused were further restrained from accessing the county’s funds when the case is still pending.
The prosecution through Alexander Muteti told the court that stringent conditions should be issued to the accused given the magnitude of the charges facing them.
The court heard that between March 27, 2013 and March 25, 2019 at Maralal Town within Samburu County, the governor, his deputy, county secretary, chief officers and head of supply chain respectively conspired to defraud the county of Sh84 million.
The governor denied four counts, that include abuse of office, conflict of interest and unlawful acquisition of public property contrary to section 45(1) and 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Act 2003.
The prosecution said that the governor used his office to improperly confer a benefit of 84,695,995 million to Oryx Service Station a business entity he owns that he used to supply fuel to the county.
