It is Kes84.5 million or 8yrs for former Samburu Governor
29:08:2024: The former Governor of Samburu County, Moses Kasaine Lenolkulal, recently convicted alongside nine other accused persons in a fuel supply scandal, has today, August 29, 2024, been sentenced to two terms of four years each to be served consecutively if he fails to pay the fines.
Mr Lenolkulal was fined Kes1m, or four years imprisonment in default, for the count of conflict of interest and a mandatory fine of Kes83,460,995, or four years imprisonment in default, for the count of illegal acquisition of public property.
His business partner in the Oryx Filling Station enterprise, Hesbon Jack Wachira Ndathi, the 11th accused person in the proceedings, was equally slapped with the mandatory fine of Kes83,460,995 million or four years imprisonment in default for the count of illegal acquisition of public property.
The Court arrived at the mandatory fine as per Sec.48 (1) (b) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) by dividing the total benefit of Kes83,460,995 that accrued to the former Governor and his partner in the supply of fuel and fuel products to the Samburu County Government between them and multiplied each person’s share by two as per the requirements of Sec.48 (2) (a) of ACECA.
The remaining nine convicted persons, including former Samburu County Secretary, Stephen Letinina, Chief Officers Daniel Lenolkirna, Finance; Josephine Lenasalia, Environment; Reuben Lemunyete, Agriculture; Paul Lolmingani, Transport; Benard Lesurmat, Land; Lilian Balanga, Gender; former Deputy Director of Education, Linus Lenolngenje; and former Head of Supply Chain, Geoffrey Kitewan were fined Kes700,000 each or four years imprisonment each in default for the count of abuse of office.
Besides, the Court also invoked Sec.64 of ACECA and disqualified all the convicted persons from being elected or appointed to public office for ten years from the date of their conviction.
Chief Magistrate Hon. Thomas Nzioki was magnanimous enough to spare the eight former Samburu County Government senior officers the mandatory fine.
The Court also alluded to having considered mitigating factors in sentencing, including that they had no prior criminal record, they were remorseful, and had cooperated throughout the protracted proceedings spanning five years; they were also the sole breadwinners for their dependent families, and some were sickly with chronic diseases.
