A Kiambu County resident has filed a petition at the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi seeking to have Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria declared unfit to hold public office.

In papers filed on Wednesday, the complainant Elijah Gicharu Kimani alleges that Moses Kuria awarded multi-million contracts to companies owned by his relatives.

Gicharu says he conducted a self-driven audit of the Gatundu South Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and allegedly discovered instances of nepotism, abuse of office and conflict of interest in the award of contracts amounting to Sh170, 878,413.

According to the petition, the relatives include Moses Kuria’s brother, Aloise Kinyanjui Kuria, a director at Finishline Construction Ltd. The MP allegedly awarded contracts worth Sh32,531,540 to the company in the construction of six schools.

Another of Kuria’s brothers, Charles Regeru Nguru, who is director at Mwaura Timber Yard Ltd, allegedly received contracts worth Sh15,761,445 in three schools.

The petitioner also alleges that contracts worth Sh10,267,955 in two schools were awarded to Lujatech Enterprises Ltd, a company whose directors are listed as Charles Regeru Nguru (brother), Jane Muthoni Regeru (Sister-in-Law), Lucy Wambui Regeru (niece) and Teresia Mwihaki Regeru (niece) of the respondent.

Two other brothers, John Ngige Kuria and James Koigi Kuria, directors of Supreme General Traders Ltd, allegedly benefitted from contracts worth Sh5,808,468 in Mutungu Secondary School.

Kuria’s sister Jane Wambui Kuria allegedly received contracts worth Sh9,814,240 in two schools through her company Kiki Holdings Ltd. The petitioner further alleges that John Ngige  received contracts worth Sh31,525,120 in two schools through his company Numerical Strength Ltd.

Moses Kuria’s nephew, Stanley Kuria Ngugi, is also said to have pocketed Sh14,792,825 worth of contracts awarded to Kurstan Builders Ltd for three schools.

“…we discovered and strongly believe that the respondent(Moses Kuria) directly influenced the awarding of the contracts to companies owned by his relatives,” said the petitioner.

“Some of the companies herein mentioned were created for the purpose of business with the interested party with the influence and support of the respondent.”

The petitioner Elijah Gicharu also noted that: “We presented a petition to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission asking for investigations into the acts of the Respondent and the interested Party. I verily believe the respondent, by his conduct as set out above is not fit to hold a public office.”