Roads authority suspend accountant who had Sh21 million in ‘dowry payment’ account
A junior accountant at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) whose bank account containing Sh21 million was frozen by the court following an application by the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has been suspended by his employer.
Justice Esther Maina of the High Courts’ Anti-Corruption Division was informed by lawyer Dunstan Omari that Daniel Munywoki Wambua was suspended in August 2023, moments after his bank accounts were frozen.
Omari further informed the judge that Wambua is undergoing immense psychological torture, trauma, and stress following the frustration of his dowry payment event that was slotted for August 7 and 8, 2023.
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Wambua had told the court the money was a contribution by his friends and meant to pay his dowry.
Urging Justice Maina to set aside the orders freezing the accounts of Wambua, Omari told the judge there was non-disclosure of evidence by EACC officers who obtained the freeze orders.
Justice Maina heard the freeze orders obtained was motivated by malice, which was entrenched further ‘through the suspension’.
Omar further told the court that Wambua is a employee number 765 with KeRRA as well as an established businessman operating agri-business within Ngengi Village in Yatta, Matuu- Machakos County.
The judge who has been moved to set- aside the freeze orders heard that the monies held at the Equity Bank Limited Accounts of Wambua are, ‘not proceeds of crime but genuinely earned money from business transactions, salaries earned and monies raised by friends who convened to assist him pay for the dowry’.
The judge heard that Wambua has been suffering since the seizure of the accounts including Account number 084018405927 under the name Daniel Wambua Dowry Payment.
“I am experiencing undue hardships and suffering as service providers for the event ought to have been paid,” Wambua states in a further affidavit filed before Justice Maina.
Wambua has furnished the judge with the budget for the Ntheo and Ngasya event which stands at Sh20,290,750.
The defendant is urging the judge to vacate the freeze orders saying ‘the freezing of accounts is vexatious, malicious, ill-informed, ill-willed and unfounded.”
Justice Maina did not vacate the orders granted to EACC but ordered it (EACC) to respond to the issues raised by Wambua within seven (7) days.
She directed the case to be heard on October 12, 2023.
In the meantime, the freeze orders subsist and the dowry payment event will remain in abeyance.
Wambua has listed several friends who comprised the committee which raised a colossal sum of money that was deposited in the dowry account.
Wambua has moved to court asking for the funds to be unfrozen so that he can proceed to pay a dowry for his wife-to-be.
According to court papers, the account in question was not a personal one but was registered as Daniel Wambua Dowry Payment and it was to run for a period of four months awaiting his big day with wife-to-be.
The defendant has attached the bank opening form and also the Whatsapp group that was used to collect the funds for the dowry.
At least 800 people have contributed towards the dowry, which now lies in limbo due to the freezing of the account. He said people are still send money running over Sh1.7million towards his dowry payment.
“The amount in the DANIEL WAMBUA DOWRY PAYMENT Account number 0840184059257 was specifically for the purpose of collecting funds from friends and well-wishers for the purposes of dowry payment for my intended marriage to my wife of choice,” Wambua avers in his evidence to the court.
“There was an online platform group created by those who wished to contribute and pledge to my cause whereas a Whatsapp group was duly formed and contributions began to be channelled virtually via MPesa pay bill number 247247 account 221666,” Wambua claims.
Wambua further says he is well-known in his community and that’s why he got that much money as a contribution towards his dowry payment.
He has attached the Whatsapp group with the contribution lists stating what each person contributed towards the wedding.
He says EACC should tell the court the interest they have in his marriage, which led them to halt his ceremony without any justifiable reasons thereby causing him embarrassment with his in-laws.