Former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has been acquitted of corruption charges amounting to Ksh213 million in a major court victory that ends a lengthy legal battle. A Nairobi court on Thursday cleared Kidero and six former county officials after ruling that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence linking them to the alleged graft offences.
In the ruling delivered at the Milimani Law Courts, Magistrate Victor Wakumile declared that all 17 charges against Kidero and his co-accused had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt. The court, therefore, acquitted them under Section 210 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which provides for an acquittal when the prosecution fails to establish a prima facie case.
Kidero, who served as the first Governor of Nairobi County between 2013 and 2017, had been accused of conspiring to defraud the county government of more than Ksh213 million through irregular payments for services allegedly not rendered. The alleged offences were said to have occurred between January 2014 and January 2016.
According to the charges, the former governor was accused of receiving multiple payments from Lodwar Wholesalers Limited and Ngurumani Traders Limited, companies allegedly linked to fraudulent transactions. He was also charged with dealing directly with suspect property and benefiting from funds believed to have been obtained through corrupt conduct.
Despite the acquittal of Kidero and several others, the court ruled that there was sufficient evidence against three of the accused persons. The magistrate ordered former Nairobi head of Treasury Stephen Osiro, and directors John Githua and Grace Njeri of Lodwar Wholesalers Limited and Ngurumani Traders Limited, to be placed on their defence to respond to charges relating to the alleged fraudulent dealings.
The decision marks a significant turning point for Kidero, who has faced multiple corruption-related cases since leaving office. The former governor has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming that the cases were politically motivated.
The acquittal now clears one of the major corruption cases against him, although some of his other legal battles remain pending before various courts. The ruling has been viewed as a major relief for the former city boss, who has been at the centre of public scrutiny over the management of Nairobi County’s finances during his tenure.
