Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa faces arrest over CDF cash misuse

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has ordered the arrest and prosecution of Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa over misappropriation of over Sh57 million from the NG-CDF kitty.

Mr Haji also directed the arrests of seven others who are member of the Malindi National Government Constituency Development Fund.

Six officers of the Malindi NG-CDF have already been arrested.

On Thursday, Mr Haji said Ms Jumwa and the seven others should be arrested for their involvement in misappropriation of the money.

The DPP said several business entities controlled by Ms Jumwa through her proxies fraudulently received the money and transmitted it to the said companies.

They include Multserve Contractors Limited, Kaseru Construction Limited, Bizcot Limited and Gadu stores.

Mr Haji said upon review of investigations files by the DCI, his office established that Sh19 million was paid to Multserve.

Marred with irregularities

"The procurement process spearheaded by the fund account manager and the tender committee was awfully flawed and marred with irregularities, skewed in favour of Multserve Contractors Limited, the company earmarked for the project," said the DPP in a statement.

He added that there was conflict of interest as Ms Jumwa received Sh2.5 million from the said company after it received the Sh19 million from Malindi NG-CDF for the construction of Malindi Sub-County education office.

"Evidence showed that Hon Aisha Jumwa Karisa Katana concealed the said sums being proceeds of crime through depositing an installment towards the purchase of an apartment L.R No.2/289 situated along Argwigs Kodhek Road in Nairobi," reads the statement by the DPP.

As a result of the available, evidence Mr Haji said he was satisfied that the eight should be arrested and charged with, among other charges, conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, wilful failure to comply with laws related to procurement and conflict of interest.

Other charges are acquisition of proceeds of crime and forgery.

Officials arrested

And following Mr Haji’s directive, detectives Thursday evening arrested five officials of the Malindi NG-CDF and a government engineer.

The detectives were from the Financial Crime Investigation Department at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters in Nairobi.

They are also in pursuit of Ms Jumwa.

Mr Mike Muia, who is the head of the Financial Crime Investigation Unit at the DCI confirmed the arrests, saying his team has been investigating the alleged crime relating to procurement of the construction of the Malindi education office that cost the NG-CDF Sh20 million.

"Preliminary investigations have revealed that the public funds that were allegedly stolen were wired back into the legislator’s personal accounts and those of close relatives," he told journalists in Malindi adding, "The six suspects have been ferried to Mombasa where they will be charged."

Those arrested include NG-CDF Manager Wachu Omar Abdalla together with NG-CDF officers Sophia Said, Bernard Kai, Margaret Faith Kalume, Robert Katana and government engineer Kennedy Otieno Onyango.

The detective said four of the five bidders were close relatives of the Malindi MP who include his son and daughter. He added that the tender evaluation committee did not observe due diligence in awarding the tenders.

Already, Ms Jumwa together with her bodyguard, are under investigation following the killing of Mr Michael Jola Ngumbao, the uncle of Ganda MCA Ruben Mwamure Katana during the Ganda by-election last year.

Mr Ngumbao was shot dead at Mshongaleni Pendukiani in Malindi on October 15, 2019 after the lawmaker and her aides stormed Mr Mwamure’s home where he was holding a meeting with his supporters.

The two were arrested and later released on Sh500,000 cash bail each by a Mombasa court.