Former Nairobi Governor Kidero pleads not guilty to fraud charges

Former Nairobi County Governor Evans Kidero on Thursday pleaded not guilty to three charges leveled against him at an anti-corruption court.

Appearing before Anti-Corruption Magistrate Douglas Ogoti, Kidero was charged with three counts of fraud, services not rendered and dealing with suspect property.

Kidero, who has been in EACC custody since Wednesday evening when he was arrested, was supposed to be arraigned in court at 9am but was presented in the afternoon. He was charged alongside another co-accused, Maurice Ochieng Okere, acting head of county, Treasury.

Through lawyer Tom Ojienda, Kidero asked the court to release him on bail saying it was his constitutional right.

The prosecution however, opposed the bail application saying the charges leveled against the former county boss were serious and that, if granted bail, he was capable of interfering with witnesses.

“The influence that the first accused person, Evans Kidero, has cannot be ignored your honor,” stated the prosecution.

“We strongly submit that we have not made the application to oppose bail out of malice, it is our duty to bring to the attention of this court why we are at another level when it comes to dealing with these kinds of cases.”

Kidero’s legal team, however, defended their bail application saying the former governor was a law abiding citizen who would continue to cooperate with the prosecution and other state agencies in any question that may require his presence or attendance.

“First accused person, Evans Kidero, was on his way to the EACC when he was arrested, he had intended to present himself,” said Prof. Ojienda.

“He has spent over 23 hours at the commission; he slept there and has cooperated on every aspect of the investigation in this questioning.”

Prof. Ojienda further termed the charges against Kidero as “not serious charges but generic charges with very serious political undertones.”

“Where criminal processes are politicised, that should raise the concerns of the court,” he added.

The prosecution stated that investigations into the charges leveled against Kidero began in 2014 when he was still the Nairobi County Governor.

Kidero was arrested on Wednesday afternoon alongside 7 others on the orders of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission received information concerning alleged criminal activities involving Nairobi City County Government officials touching on the mismanagement and embezzlement of Public funds,” said the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions.

DPP Noordin Haji said he was satisfied that the persons named “are criminally culpable jointly and severally.”