Nairobi Water official, NTSA guard convicted in bribery cases

An employee from the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and a security guard attached to the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) have separately been convicted by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court after pleading guilty to bribery charges.

The Nairobi Water official, Fridah Ondimo Nyanduko, on Thursday pleaded guilty before Senior Principal Magistrate Victor Wakhumile to the offences of requesting and accepting a bribe in order to restore water supply at a City estate.

According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Nyanduko demanded a bribe of Ksh.30,000 from a resident of Park Two Estate in Lang'ata on February 17, 2020 in order to restore water meters that she had earlier disconnected.

The matter was brought to the attention of EACC and the anti-corruption watchdog initiated an operation on February 18, 2020 to nab the suspect as she received the bribe.

She was charged on January 14, 2022 at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court but was released on a Ksh.100,000 cash bail after pleading not guilty

"On November 10, 2022, the case was coming up for hearing but the accused person informed the court that she wanted to change plea. The court allowed her application and she pleaded guilty to the three counts of bribery," EACC said in a statement.  

"She will pay a total fine of Ksh.150,000 or in default serve 1 year and 6 months in jail."

The security guard attached to NTSA, Metrine Nabwele Elima, was on Wednesday sentenced to a year in prison by Wakhumile after pleading guilty to soliciting and accepting bribes from Kenyans seeking audiences with NTSA officials.

"It is believed that the security guard was receiving the bribes as a link person between service seekers and NTSA officials. The bribes were aimed at enabling persons to illegally obtain various approvals and clearances from NTSA, including endorsement of qualifications that a person does not possess," said EACC.  

According to EACC, Elima -an employee of Kleen Home Security Services Limited stationed at NTSA, demanded a bribe of Ksh.10,000 from a city resident on October 3, 2018 in order to endorse his driving Licence to Class A in the NTSA System

"On October 4, 2018, an operation was mounted leading to the arrest of the suspect while receiving part of the bribe amounting to Ksh. 7,000/=at NTSA offices in Capital Hill," said EACC.

"The file forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public prosecutions who upon review of evidence concurred with the recommendations of EACC that the accused person be charged in court with the two counts of soliciting and receiving a bribe. The accused person, who was out on cash bail,  was subsequently charged."