Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has been acquitted in a Ksh 213 million corruption case, marking a major turn in a long-running legal battle that has trailed him for years.
In a ruling delivered on Thursday, the court declared that Kidero and several former senior Nairobi County officials had no case to answer on counts 1 to 17, clearing them under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code. However, the court directed that counts 18 to 35 proceed to defense, meaning the trial will continue on those specific charges.
Kidero had been charged alongside Lilian Wanjiru Ndegwa, Jimmy Mutuku Kiamba, and Gregory Mwakanongo, among others, over alleged irregular payments and abuse of office during his tenure as governor. The charges stemmed from claims that Kidero received Ksh 14 million on August 29, 2014, and another Ksh 10 million on September 11, 2014, from Lodwar Wholesalers Limited, money the prosecution claimed was tainted.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) accused the former county boss of mismanaging public funds and benefiting from questionable transactions, but the magistrate found that witness testimonies failed to link Kidero or his co-accused to any wrongdoing.
Through his lawyer, Philip Nyachoti, the defense argued that the alleged loss of Ksh 213 million was speculative, adding that no evidence of missing funds was ever produced in court.
