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Waluke, Wakhungu shipped to prison as Sh2bn fine reality sinks in


Sirisia MP John Waluke and his co-accused Grace Wakhungu were on Thursday night shipped to various prisons to begin their sentences.

The two were ordered by a magistrate to pay a fine of close to Sh2 billion or serve at least 39 years in prison after they were found guilty of defrauding a state agency.

While sentencing the two, Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Juma said the offences they committed were serious. She added that the two and their company took advantage of a dire situation in the country, as Kenya faced a drought, to defraud the National Cereals and Produce Board.

“The court agrees that being first offenders and their age, they deserve leniency,” she said adding that she appreciated the roles they play in society.

The magistrate said there were aspects in the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) that are mandatory and the court had no option but to pass sentence as prescribed in the law.

But where the court has discretion, Ms Juma said she would exercise it judiciously. On the first count of uttering a false document, the court directed Ms Wakhungu to pay a fine of Sh100,000 or serve one year in prison. She was further directed to pay another fine of Sh100m for purgery or serve another year in jail.

Both the convicts and the company were directed to pay a fine of Sh626 million each or serve seven-year in jail for receiving fraudulent payment from NCPB.