Court suspends hearing of Kidero’s Ksh.213M graft case

The High Court has temporarily suspended the hearing of a case in which former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero is charged over the alleged loss of Ksh.213 million by the Nairobi County Government.

The hearing of the matter was set to begin next Monday to Friday, but High Court judge John Onyiego stayed the proceedings pending the determination of an appeal in which Kidero is challenging the case.

Judge Onyiego, while staying the proceedings, said the orders will go up to May 7 when a detailed ruling will be delivered.

Kidero, through his Lawyer James Orengo, is appealing against the trial court’s decision that declined to charge him separately from his 10 co-accused persons.

In the appeal, Kidero insists that the charge sheet against him is overloaded with 35 counts yet he has been charged with only three counts.

“The overloading of that sheet is oppressive,” submitted Orengo.

However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in his grounds of opposition, says that there is no defect in the charge sheet as drawn, adding that the charge sheet is not overloaded .

The court heard that the prosecution is ready to start the case on Monday and to stay the proceedings is injustice not only to the State but also to the other accused persons

“One can’t conspire alone and that’s why he’s been charged alongside other people,” the court was told.

Kidero was last year charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption leading to the loss of Ksh.213 million.

He is charged alongside former Nairobi County officials Lillian Ndegwa, Jimmy Kiamba, Stephen Osiro, Luke Mugo and Maurice Ochieng Okere.