DCI: How Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa used son, daughter company to embezzle Ksh.58M public funds

Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa was on Thursday questioned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegedly embezzling Ksh.57,711,690 of public funds.

Documents seen by Citizen Digital reveal that the MP’s two children are also implicated in the scandal through their company Kaseru Construction Ltd.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that there was collusion to embezzle public funds and there was major conflict of interest on the part of Aisha Jumwa Karisa,” the document from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit reads.

Four companies linked to Jumwa are said to have received a total of Ksh. 312,624,464.

Out of this amount, the MP allegedly received a total of Ksh. 57,711,690 into her bank account.

It is alleged that between March 2014 to August 2018, her children’s company Kaseru Construction Ltd received Ksh. 64,735,504 from Kilifi County through their Equity Bank account.

The funds are said to have been for payment of services rendered to the county through a number of tenders.

One of the listed transactions is Ksh. 9,495, 512.05 allegedly sent to Kaseru Construction Ltd on May 11 two years ago.

The DCI report further indicates that after the payment was made, MP Aisha Jumwa coincidentally received Ksh.3million.

At the same time, her Likoni counterpart Mishi Juma Hamisi apparently also received Ksh.3,000,000.

Other transactions under investigation by the DCI include withdrawals from a Cooperative Bank account operated by Jumwa’s son Karisa.

The withdrawals are said to have totalled Ksh. 46,100,509.

The same account was allegedly used to transfer another Ksh. 5,000,000 to Likoni MP Hamisi and Ksh.15,150,000 to Jumwa.

Jumwa’s daughter is alleged to have received Ksh. 40,685,000 from the same account.

A second company—Gadu Stores– also said to be run by Jumwa’s son, was listed in the DCI statement.

He is apparently the sole proprietor of the company that was registered on April 11, 2014 and allegedly contracted to supply ECD furniture to Kilifi County.

An account at Equity Bank under the company’s name reportedly received Ksh. 30,000,000 from the county.

Ksh.4,020,000 from this account was then allegedly transferred to Jumwa via RGTS.

The DCI is seeking to have Jumwa and 10 others be prosecuted for abuse of office, money laundering, failing to adhere to procurement procedures, bid rigging, conspiracy to commit an offense and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

Other suspects listed are:

1. Wachu Omar Abdallah
2. Kennedy Otieno
3. Bernard Rimba Kai
4. Sophia Saidi Charo
5. Margaret Kalume
6. M/S Bizcot Ltd
7. M/S Sedika General Suppliers Ltd
8. M/S Super Cribs Enterprises
9. Multserve Contractors Ltd
10. M/S Tascorpts Ltd

Multserve Contractors Ltd, whose directors the DCI identified as Robert Katana Wanje and Rachel Neema Karisa, is said to have received Ksh. 19,002,000 from Malindi National Government CDF.

It is alleged that the company also received Ksh.48,403,017.05 from Kilifi County deposited into an account at Cooperative Bank between November 2017 and December 2018.

The DCI said investigations revealed that the company had been contracted to build an office block at Malindi sub county.

After receiving payment from Malindi CDF, the company apparently transferred Ksh.2,500,000 to Jumwa’s personal account.

On the same day, the MP is said to made a down payment of Ksh.2,860,000 for a four-bedroom house on Argwings Kodhek Road in Nairobi.

One of the directors of Multserve Contractors Ltd however alleged that the payment to Jumwa was for a loan she had given him, a claim that the DCI was unable to verify.

Multserve Contractors Ltd is also reported to have transacted with the company owned by Jumwa’s two children: Kaseru Construction Ltd in 2017.

According to the DCI, the transaction dated November 4, 2017 involved transfer of Ksh.11,000,000 to a Cooperative Bank account operated by Karisa Kalume Karisa and Selina Kaulme Sidi; Jumwa’s children.

She is also said to have bought a LandCruiser V8 at Ksh.8million cash and paid for an off-plan property worth Ksh.25million in cash in Malindi.