Ex-Samburu Governor Lenolkulal Fined Sh85 Million After Conviction On Graft Charges

Ex-Samburu Governor Lenolkulal Fined Sh85 Million After Conviction On Graft Charges

Former Samburu Governor Moses will have to pay a mandatory fine of Sh83 million to secure his freedom.

This is after he was found guilty of corruptly enriching himself while he was in office.

Lenolkulal will also be required to part with another Sh2 million in default spend eight years in prison.

Magistrate Thomas Nzyoki imposed the sentence after taking into consideration his mitigation before court.

He was sentenced on conflict of interest and unalwful acquisition of property charges.

Lenolkulal’s proxy Hesbon Ndathi was also ordered to pay a mandatory fine  of Sh83 million.

“This being a corruption matter I have considered various objectives being the objective of deterence, retribution, denounciation and community protection,” he said.

He was also disqualified from holding any public office for a period of 10 years.

The Magistrate said the case before court was on breach of public trust and that the offending act by Lenolkulal was deliberate and in breach of good governance.

“There was no excuse for him to trade with the county. The acquisition of the Sh83 million was a benefit that went into his pocket and that of Ndathi,” said the court.

The others being county officers were fined sh 700,000 in default spend four year in prison.

They are Stephen Siringa, Daniel Nakuo, Josephine Naamo, Reuben Marumben, Milton Lenolngenje, Bernard Lesurmat and Lilian Balanga.

Lenolkulal has vowed to appeal saying he believes he will be exonerated.

The magistrate relied on over 200 payment vouchers and Local Purchase Orders as evidence against Lenolkulal direct trading with the county.

He said his integrity was compromised by private interest.

“A public officers must taken keen inter Sr I’m affairs of his office. They should always adhere to principles of good governance. In law a governor stands prohibited from trading with his county government,” said Nzyuki.

He also faulted the county secretary who was the second accused person in the case for the role he played that led to the loss of theoniew.

He said the county secretary signed and approved payments while aware lenolkulal was the owner of Oryx Service Station.

“The accounting officer flatly lied on oath that they didn’t know Lenolkulal was owner of Oryx. They shouldn’t have approved the payments to Oryx,” said the court.

The magistrate said the evidence adduced in court by the prosecution led by prosecution counsel Wesley Namache was overwhelming in that lenolkulals co accused persons used their officers to improperly approve payments to Oryx.

Lenolkulal was charged in 2019 with abuse of office and conflict of interest leading to the alleged loss of Sh83 million.

He was accused of using his company Oryx Service Station to supply petrol and diesel to the county.

The charge sheet indicates Lenolkulal ‘knowingly acquired direct private interests in contracts between Oryx and Samburu for the supply of fuel.

The charge of Conflict of interest proved against the Governor

The prosecution said they were happy with the ruling.