Kethi Kilonzo appeals for fraud case to be withdrawn

High court advocate Kethi Kilonzo with her co-accused Godfrey Ninito Lemiso, now have their eyes fixed on the new Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji in a bid to have their election fraud case withdrawn.

This was after a Nairobi court was told that the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has taken a position that only the office of the DPP has powers to convince a court to terminate an ongoing case.

This emerged even as the court issued warrant of arrest against Ninito for failing to appear for mentioning of the case for the second time.

Milimani Court Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi also directed that the case be adjourned following the absence of the second accused persons and his lawyer since the matter could not be heard conclusively in their absence.

Kethi and Ninito were charged on September 2013 with stealing an IEBC acknowledgement slip belonging to the national elections agency, between November 19, 2012, and June 27, 2013.

Kethi had allegedly used the Ksh.5 slip as evidence that she was lawfully registered as a voter at Ngong Forest Primary School in Nairobi County.

The lawyer also faces a charge of handling stolen property and presenting false documents.

She allegedly produced forged documents to IEBC returning officer Salad Boru in Wote, Makueni County, during the nomination exercise for the by-election to replace her father, the late Senator Mutula Kilonzo.