Businessman Joel Kibe denied his involvement in the University of Nairobi council’s controversy surrounding the appointment of Brian Ouma as Acting Chief Operating Officer.
He said he didn’t attend the purported meeting that approved the appointment.
Kibe, who is a former member of the UoN council said the contentious appointment, which saw top UoN officials arrested and arraigned, happened when he was out of the country.
Kibe has been listed on the charge sheet.
He, on Saturday, shared documents showing that on April 19 2024, when the irregular appointment happened, he was on a trip outside the country. He had left the country on April 12 for Tokyo and returned on April 24.
“Our client has seen a charge sheet in circulation online, alleging that he, together with others, committed the said offence on the above date. We are instructed to inform you that Mr. Kibe was not in Kenya on 19th April 2024. He was, at the time, on official business in Japan,” said Mwaniki Gachoka & Co. Advocates on behalf of Kibe.
This comes hours after detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested four senior officials from the University of Nairobi over the irregular appointment of Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo as Acting Chief Operations Officer.
Those arrested and arraigned include University of Nairobi Council Chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe, Daniel Brian Ouma, and two other members of the council, Dr. Ahmed Sheikh Abdullahi and Carren Kerubo Omwenga.
The quartet faces charges of abuse of office in the controversial hiring of Brian Ouma contrary to a court judgment delivered on April 8, 2024.
They denied the charges and were released on Sh500,000 cash bail each, hours after their arrest.
The EACC told Kibe to surrender for processing.
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