Caroline Wambui met Kennedy Kinuthia in 2018 through a friend. Their meeting would mark the beginning of her misery.
Kinuthia is the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) aspirant for Kamahuha Ward, Murang’a County.
When they met, he was supposed to make Wambui’s life better, at least by helping her bag lucrative tenders.
The first order of business was to supply staff uniforms with the Saboti Constituency Development Fund. This would cost her a whopping Sh16 million.
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The deal went sour costing her her 14-year marriage. Her ex-husband, Moses Kiarie, said Wambui spent his money without his consent hence a bitter fall-out that led to divorce.
“It is true that the Sh16 million she lost was part of the reason we divorced. She conspired to use my money without my consent. She made me lose everything I had, (and I ended up) selling my property so that I can get back on my feet. It has been a painful journey… when you lose what took years to build,” Kiarie is quoted by the Nation.
As fate would have it, Wambui bumped into Kinuthia along the busy Kimathi Street in Nairobi, upon which she raised the alarm.
The suspect was apprehended and on Monday appeared before Kiambu Chief Magistrate Emily Ominde where he pleaded not guilty to charges leveled against him.
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“Between the 1st day of February 2018 and 30th December 2020, at Kiambu Town, within Kiambu county, with intent to defraud, you obtained Sh16,657,785 from Caroline Wambui Ngige, by falsely pretending that you had secured tenders for the supply of Saboti Constituency Development Fund (CDF) staff uniforms and construction of classrooms within Saboti Constituency, a fact you knew to be false,” the charge sheet submitted in court by Muthaiga Police Station reads.
Magistrate Ominde released the suspect on a cash bail of Sh2.5 million or an alternative bond of Sh5 million.
She did, however, order the police to detain a Toyota Prado TX for a period of one month, which is said to have been bought from the proceeds of crime.
“I have considered the submissions made by both the prosecution and the defence. This offence is bailable and the accused should deposit a cash bail of Sh2.5 million or an alternative bond of Sh5 million,” ruled Ominde.
The matter will be mentioned on August 1.
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