A dramatic day unfolded for Former Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria and his wife Jane Waigwe Kimani on Wednesday, offering them a moment of relief.
The events commenced with the swift arrest and subsequent arraignment of Jane Waigwe Kimani and her brother Solomon Mutura Kimani at Milimani anti-corruption court over an alleged Kes. 140 million graft case. They were apprehended by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives in the morning and promptly taken to court for plea-taking before Chief Magistrate Thomas Nzioki.
Ms Waige and Mr Mutura are among eight individuals slated to face charges related to procurement fraud in the Murang’a County government.
The whereabouts of the former county boss remain undisclosed amidst reports suggesting he had evaded arrest after failing to honour the summons to appear before the EACC on Tuesday morning.
At the anti-corruption court in Nairobi, Wa Iria’s wife and his brother-in-law refrained from pleading to the charges. This decision came after the court was informed that the High Court in Murang’a had halted the suspects’ prosecution following Wa Iria’s petition.
Magistrate Nzioki postponed the plea to 3 pm to allow Wa Iria’s lawyers to provide a certified copy of the court orders.
Helicopter Collects Court Orders
A dramatic scene unfolded at Mumbi Grounds in Murang’a County when a helicopter hired by Wa Iria touched down to collect the court orders.
A video captured the moment lawyer Ndegwa Njiru boarded the helicopter, which was already running, to deliver the conservatory orders in Nairobi.
Upon the presentation of the two orders in court by the lawyers led by Wilfred Nyamu, Ndegwa Njiru, and Peter Wanyama, Magistrate Nzioki unconditionally released Jane Waigwe Kimani and her brother Solomon Mutura Kimani.
Nzioki stated that the high court orders bind his court, preventing the commencement of prosecution against former Governor Wa Iria and the other suspects.
“This court has been served with two High Court orders by Justice Cecilia Gitua and Nixon Sifuna, staying the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) decision to prosecute the 10 suspects pending the determination of the petition in the High Court, and this court is bound by the same,” ruled Nzioki.
Nzioki also rejected the DPP’s request to issue a warrant of arrest against seven suspects who did not appear before him for plea-taking.
He instructed that the case be mentioned on April 29, 2024, to provide an update on the High Court’s position.
Speaking to the press, lawyer Ndegwa Njiru asserted that the arrest of Wa Iria and his family was politically motivated.
“It is uncouth for EACC officers to break into Wa Iria’s home, mishandle his children and arrest the wife, having not issued a summon to the suspects. This is a political witch-hunt,” he said.
Watch a video of the chopper incident at Mumbi Grounds in Murang’a County below.
