Eight former employees of the Kericho County government have been sentenced after being found guilty of various corruption charges.
Lillian Chepkoech, John Kimutai, Peter Koskey, Joash Chirchir, Aaron Njoroge, Japheth Kipngeno, Charles Mabwai, Stanley Cheruiyot, and Jawlink Logistics Limited were convicted last Friday for an irregular award of Sh5.6 Million road construction tender.
They faced nine counts of various charges of graft, including willingly failing to comply with the procurement awarding procedure and awarding a tender to Jawlink through a Direct Procurement method without following the proper procurement guidelines.
Chepkoech, who is also the Director of Jawlink, was acquitted of Count four.
“On April 10, 2016, being a Roads Inspector of the County Government of Kericho, you willfully failed to disclose your private interest as a Director of Jawlink Logistics,” read the charge sheet for count four.
She was sentenced for counts five, six, seven, and eight.
Kericho Anti-Corruption court fined Chepkoech Sh10.5 million or 10 years imprisonment.
“Count five, the second accused having been convicted under section 42(3) as read with 48(1) of the ACECA is fined Sh500,000 or three years imprisonment and pursuant to section 48(1)(b) and 48(2)(a) of the ACECA, having received Sh3,807,899.90 is hereby further fined a mandatory two times the amount received, that is Sh7,615,799.80 or three years imprisonment,” the Court ruled.
Koskey was convicted of three counts and sentenced to eight years in prison or pay a fine of Sh1.3 million.
In counts six, seven and eight, Chepkoech was convicted jointly with Kimutai and Kipgenoh.
They were sentenced to four years imprisonment or pay a fine of Sh2.4 million each.
Cheruiyot, Mambwai, Chirchir, and Njoroge were convicted of failure to comply with the procurement awarding procedure and awarding the tender to Jawlink on March 9, 2016.
Chief Magistrate S M Mokua sentenced them to two years in prison or a fine of Sh300,000 each.
