Former Embakasi South CDF manager, wife convicted of graft

Former Embakasi South Constituency Development Fund (CDF) manager and his wife have been sentenced to one year in jail over a computer supply scandal.

Peter Mukhanji and his wife Nilfrey Musilivin Tero, proprietors of Ewise Systems, were found guilty of three counts of corruption by the Milimani Anti-Corruption court.

They were however given an option of paying a fine of Ksh 1.7 million and Ksh2 million, respectively.

They were jointly sentenced to each pay a fine of Ksh. 1 million or serve a 2-year jail term in count one, where they were found guilty of conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption in which they were accused of defrauding Embakasi South CDF Ksh. 2,199,823.

Mukhanji was fined another Ksh 700,000 or serve 12 months in prison in count two for failure to comply with laws relating to procurement, where he was accused of entering into a written contract with Ewise Systems before the lapse of 14 days after the notification of the award for tender for the supply of 14 computers worth Ksh 2,199,823.

His wife has been fined another Ksh 500,000 or serve a 12-month imprisonment in count five on fraudulent acquisition of public property, where she was accused of fraudulently acquiring Ksh. 2,199,823. She will also pay an extra Ksh. 500,000 fine for benefiting from corruption.

Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, Amos Chigiti asked the court to strike a balance between mitigation and aggravating factors and the amount involved since the accused had faced serious offences.

Chigiti further urged the court to consider the steps the government has put in place in the fight against graft.

Chief Magistrate Victor Wakumile declined a request by the convicts to have the fines paid in instalments.