Kenya Pipeline MD Tanui charged with abuse of office

What you need to know:

Mr Tanui was charged alongside the company’s chief engineer Josphat Kipkoech Sirma and chief technical manager Elias Maina Karumi.
They all denied the charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh700,000.
The case is scheduled for mention on November 30, 2015 when a hearing date will be set.

Suspended Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) managing director Charles Tonui has become the latest senior government official to be charged with abuse of office in the ongoing war on graft.

Mr Tonui was accused of irregularly awarding a Sh29 million contract for installation of autotransformers as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions stepped up the fight against grand corruption facing the Jubilee administration.

The suspended MD was charged, alongside the company’s chief engineer Josphat Kipkoech Sirma and chief technical manager Elias Maina Karumi, with six counts of abuse of office and failing to comply with procurement rules in awarding the multi-million shillings contract to Redline Limited.

The four joined the growing list of senior government officials who have been charged with corruption-related offences this week.

On Tuesday, suspended Geothermal Development Company managing director Silas Simiyu, company secretary Praxidis Saisi and seven members of the firm’s tender committee were charged with abuse of office in awarding a Sh42.7 million tender for rig move services.

On Wednesday, National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation MD Evans Ngibuini and twelve senior officials from the parastatal were charged with conspiracy to defraud Sh41 million.

On the same day Devolution PS Peter Mangiti and National Youth Service director Nelson Githinji joined 24 other officials to face charges over the loss of Sh791 million from the NYS.

Mr Tonui was accused of willingly failing to comply with procurement rules when he authorised and signed the contract for installation of autotransformers at KPC headquarters in Industrial Area, Nairobi.