Henry Rotich off the hook in Sh63bn Arror, Kimwarer dams scandal

Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and eight others have been acquitted of corruption charges over the multi-billion shilling Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.

The trial magistrate Eunice Nyutu said Mr Rotich and the others had no case to answer and that the evidence presented in court was not sufficient to allow them to be placed on their defence.

There was drama during the trial as the prosecution declined to question 41 witnesses who testified in the case. The magistrate blasted the prosecutors for their conduct.

The former CS was charged with a total of 19 counts, including unlawfully executing loan agreements totalling £578,309,578 to finance the construction of the Arror and Kimwarer multipurpose dams.

One of the charges stated that Mr Rotich used his office to improperly confer the benefit of contractual rights to the joint venture formed outside Kenya by two Italian suppliers- Cooperativa Muratori & Cementisti (CMC di Ravenna) and Itinera S.p.A.

"All the accused persons in this case are hereby acquitted under section 210 (of the Criminal Procedure Code) due to lack of evidence as a result of the reckless dereliction of duty by the prosecution," the magistrate ruled.