Two former officials of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology were on Friday, March 12, jailed for seven and a half years for embezzling Sh2.5 million of taxpayers’ money.
While sentencing the duo, Perminus Njoroge Kamau and Kepha Oseko Mareli, Nairobi Chief Magistrate Lawrence Mugambi said that the two failed to comply with procedures which led to the embezzlement of public funds which could have been used to better the education system.
Njoroge and Mareli, who served as head cashier and accountant respectively at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology over 13 years ago, were convicted of the offense of withdrawing the cash from the Central Bank of Kenya, claiming the funds were imprests.
The court said that Oseko became an enabler of the embezzlement of the cash entrusted to him despite having been sent a memo by his seniors warning him not to ‘steal’ the cash.
However, the court ordered the third convict in the case, Dorothy Katunge Kisavi, to pay a fine of Sh500,000.
In his ruling, Mugambi said that Kisavi was not found guilty of any loss of funds.
The suspects faced a total of 10 counts of fraudulent acquisition of public property, stealing by a person employed by the public service, conspiracy to defraud, and abuse of office.
Three other accused were released after the court acquitted them.
Those acquitted are Thomas Kubende Lunani, Zuwena Zainabu, and Catherine Wanjiru Ngugi.
