Two government officials accused of conspiring to defraud the government of Sh49 million in a fake fertilizer deal have been charged in a Nairobi court. The two, Kiprotich Ronald Tonui and Edwin Ombui Oseko appeared before Milimani Magistrate Bernard Ochoi and denied several counts of charges.
They were charged that jointly with others, not before the court, they conspired to defraud the government of 19,913 bags each of 50kg of subsidy fertilizer valued at Sh 49,787,500. They allegedly committed the offense on July 28, 2023, at an unknown place within the country.
They faced a second count of abuse of office against the law. The court heard that on November 7, 2023, at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development Kilimo House within Nairobi County, Kiprotich, in abuse of the said office, arbitrarily recommended the registration of Wilson Letuya Mempe as a farmer with 1,800 acres of land for crop farming at Melelo Sub-Location in Narok South Su-County within Narok County.
The prosecution said the recommendation led to the farmer redeeming a total of 7,200 bags, each 50kg of government subsidy fertilizer valued at Sh 18,000,000. An act that was prejudicial to the office of information and communication technology in the ministry. He is said to have done that by being a person employed in the public service as the Assistant Director of Information and Communication Technology and Head of the I.C.T. section.
They faced a last count of abuse of office contrary to the law. The court was informed that Kiprotich also recommended unlawfully the registration of WilsonSesat Marindany as a farmer with 1, 200 acres of land for crop farming in Narok which would lead to the said farmer redeeming a total of 4,800 bags each 50kg of Government SubsidyFertilizer valued at Sh 12,000,000.
The act was prejudicial to the Office of Information and Communication Technology of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. They denied the charges and were released on a Sh8 million bond each. The case will be mentioned after two weeks.
