Controversial Company at the Centre of Sonko's Woes

On Monday, December 9, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko was arraigned at the Milimani Law Court where 13 counts of conflict of interest and corruption were levelled against him.

As the flamboyant county head unleashed his battery of 12 lawyers, the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions detailed the anatomy of investigations and prosecutions of the officers.

At the centre of the prosecution's case is Hardi Entreprises Limited which was awarded a tender to provide garbage services to the county.

The company is owned by Anthony Mwaura Ng'ang'a and Rose Njeri Ng'ang'a whom the state claimed had funded the election campaign of the governor between April and May 2017 ahead of the August polls to the tune of Ksh8.6 million.

"The company transferred some of the funds paid by NCC to an affiliate company Toddy Civil Engineering Ltd whose directors are Anthony Ng'ang'a and Rose Ng'ang'a.

"Ksh3 Million was moved from a bank account owned by Hardi Enterprises to Toddy Civil Engineering and on the same day transferred to a bank account belonging to the governor at a local bank," the prosecution stated in their submissions.

The DPP explained that the procurement process was conducted in breach of the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act.

The procurement process began with negotiations of the alleged tender prior to issuance of the bid documents and the county secretary signed a letter of award in favour of all the applicants including Hardi Enterprises Ltd, the DPP details.

Furthermore, according to the prosecution, the company did not have machinery or trucks but nevertheless passed the evaluation and was issued with a letter of award.

The DPP explained that the trucks alleged to have collected the garbage were never weighed at the weighbridge as indicated in the worksheets as some of the vehicles 'used' to collect garbage were registered as saloon cars.

Evidence presented by the DPP showed that some invoices forwarded by Hardi were paid in excess of the amounts quoted without explanation.

In addition to the company and its directors, the other co-accused include; Peter Mbugua Kariuki, Patrick Mwangangi, Wambua Ndaka, Andrew Nyasiego, Samuel Ndung'u Mwangi, Edwin Kariuki Murimi, Lawrence Mwangi Mukuru, Preston Mwandiki Miriti, Arbab Auto Limited, ROG Security Limited, High Energy Petroleum Ltd and Anthony Otieno Ombok alias Jamal.