A quantity surveyor yesterday testified in an Sh43 million graft case against former Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro (right),  her husband Ferdinand Masha, and other co-accused.

Surveyor Daniel Odhiambo Obonyo told Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ooko of the Anti-Corruption Court that he made a report on stalled projects in Kasarani between September and October 2008.

“I was given a list of 14 stalled projects in different wards by the CDF manager, one Murethe, who wanted me to make a report on them”, he said. Ooko added that he visited most of the projects in Mathare Area 4, GSU and Mwiki wards. The projects included school classrooms, bridges and toilets.

The co-accused

Apart from the former MP and her husband, the other accused are James Dola, Silvan Onyango, Pamela Achola, William Ogutu (Nyangina Enterprises), Maurice Odhiambo (Komala Constructions), Jecinta Opondi and Accurate Construction and Engineering Works.

They are accused of embezzling public funds between May 2008 and December 2012 amounting to Sh43 million from the CDF, meant for construction of Kasarani Girls High School. Earlier, the magistrate  allowed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, to adduce new evidence and seven more witnesses.  He was also allowed to amend the charge sheet.

The leeway was given after the investigating officer told the prosecution that new documents — “crucial, relevant and substantial” — were now in their custody. They include letters to the Ministry of Education, the Auditor General and  to the Chief Land Registrar dated January 2018.

There are also letters to the Registrar of Companies, Mathare North Senior Chief, sub-county director of Education, and CEO of National CDF Board dated August 2019.

In 2020, Ongoro opposed the DPP’s bid to drop Kenya’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Ruth Kanini Kittony, from the case. Kittony was employed by the CDF Board before her appointment as a diplomat.

The DPP after evaluating the evidence saw it fit to have her as a witness and not the accused. No further details were provided.

They sought to have the DPP explain the reason informing its decision to withdraw the charges facing the diplomat, Ruth Kanini Kittony.