Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has been released on a Ksh.5 million bond or an alternative cash bail of Ksh.1.5 million after facing multiple corruption-related charges in court on Tuesday.
Wangamati, nine of his relatives and directors of several construction companies were arraigned before Magistrate Zippora Gichana, accused of engaging in fraudulent procurement, conflict of interest and money laundering that allegedly led to the irregular acquisition of over Ksh.271 million.
The accused faced 27 counts, ranging from submitting forged documents to the fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
According to the prosecution, the offences occurred between 2018 and 2021, during Wangamati’s tenure as Bungoma governor.
Court documents reveal that the companies at the centre of the case; Valeria Construction Limited, Nabwala Construction Limited, Mundesi Contractor, and Skyman Freighters Limited submitted falsified completion and liability certificates to win multi-million-shilling road and construction tenders.
The forged documents were purportedly issued by government institutions, including the Kenya Wildlife Service, county governments of Kwale, Garissa, Uasin Gishu, Tana River and Turkana, as well as agencies such as the National Irrigation Board and the Nakuru Water & Sanitation Company.
In one of the charges, Nabwala Construction Limited and its directors; Michael Simiyu Wangamati and Barasa N. Wangamati, who are close relatives of the ex-governor are accused of fraudulently acquiring Ksh.271,271,432.50 through a Cooperative Bank account, with full knowledge that the funds were proceeds of crime.
While the ODPP did not oppose bail, it urged the court to impose strict conditions to prevent interference with the case. These include surrendering passports, avoiding contact with witnesses and refraining from making public statements regarding the ongoing trial.
Some of the accused were granted different bail terms, including Ksh.400,000 bail for three individuals and a Ksh.10 million bond for one of the accused.
Defence lawyer Peter Wanyama dismissed the prosecution’s claims, insisting that there was no loss of public funds and describing the case as a political witch-hunt. He noted that the county finance officers who approved and processed the payments were not charged, which, according to him, indicated that the transactions followed due process.
He further appealed for leniency in bail terms, citing Wangamati’s deteriorating health.
“The first accused suffers from hypertension. We ask that this be considered in granting reasonable bail terms,” Wanyama told the court.
Wangamati, who served as Bungoma governor from 2017 to 2022, was ousted in the 2022 General Election after a closely fought contest with current Governor Kenneth Lusaka.
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