Former Senator Joy Gwendo to pay Ksh.660K fine or spend one year in jail

Former Nominated Senator Joy Gwendo will now have to part with Ksh.660,000 fine or spend a year in jail after the High Court revised her sentence.

Judge John Onyiego, while delivering the ruling on Monday, ruled that the trial court erred in law by sentencing her to jail without the option of a fine; further noting that the money Ms. Gwendo stole had been fully paid.

Ms. Gwendo, in the case, was on December 7, 2018 sentenced to a two-year jail term after she was found guilty of abuse of office and fraud.

In the ruling, Magistrate Douglas Ogoti ordered that she be jailed without the option of a fine because of ‘hoodwinking the court.’

“On the 23rd day of October 2016 at Chiga Parish in Kisumu East within Kisumu County used her position as a State officer to confer herself Ksh.2,226,800 the property of Kisumu East Cotton Growers Cooperative Society through Kivali Development Initiative,” read the charge sheet.

The court also found that the accused was dishonest.

On Counts 3 and 4 where she was charged with issuing a bad cheque; one amounting to Ksh.300,000 and another of Ksh.950,000, Gwendo was sentenced to six months in prison.