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Three Nairobi County Employees Put on Defense in Anti-Corruption Court over Ksh 50,000 Bribe
"The business, according to my colleagues, started the previous day, and I was not there during the negotiation, so I could not talk much since I knew nothing about their business," Samson Jamenya Aluga.
Three Nairobi City County employees have defended themselves in a Nairobi Anti-Corruption court after being charged with receiving a bribe from a city businessman.
The three, Kennedy Kichamu Matagangwe, a senior overseer; Albert Mbarani Mihadi, a clerical officer; and Samson Jamenya Aluga, a senior overseer, stood on their defence before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Harrison Barasa.
They were jointly accused of receiving a bribe on July 29, 2020, in the Spring Valley area of Westlands in Nairobi County, from a businessman, Khilan Shah, under the pretence that they would assist him in obtaining a renovation permit.
According to the video that was played in court by the prosecution, the three City County employees were seen in the complainant’s house and heard negotiating for Ksh 55,000 to 50,000′
“You are a gentleman; help him because he is a friend,” Aluga was seen telling his colleagues.
Matagangwe told the court he was forced to take the money from Mr Shah, which he claims was a token from Shah after marketing this utensils business.
On the contrary, from the video, he was the one seen negotiating and solicited 50,000, which he received, counted and gave it to his colleague Barani to confirm.
He also admitted to handing the renovation letter to the complainant that was revoked by the City Hall for not being authentic, and it did not originate from them.
“The two City Hall officers testified in this court and confirmed the letter did not originate from their office; what will you say about that? The state prosecution asked during examination.
“I got the letter from City Hall to take it to Mr Shah,” he insisted.
Mbarani, a clerical officer falsely presented to Mr Shah as enforcement and security from Nairobi City County, told the court that he was collecting revenues from traders who were not complying with the county Government rules and that he had known the complainant for five years by then.
“Shah was doing the business in his house, and I received a tip-off from his gateman about the business. We told him how he would comply, and we became friends,” Barani told the Magistrate.
He claims they agreed to be paid after marketing and referring new customers to Shah, but he did not produce any evidence to support the claim.
His business claims were not confirmed in the video, since there was no communication regarding marketing
Aluga defended himself by telling the court that he was not familiar with that business and that he escorted his colleagues.
“The business, according to my colleagues, started the previous day, and I was not there during the negotiation, so I could not talk much since I knew nothing about their business,” he told the court.
When he was asked by the state counsel what he meant by telling his colleagues to help Shah, he said he was referring to an issue of burial where he (the complainant) had lost his father-in-law.
On the contrary, no communication was heard about the issue of death.
The three were charged with the offences of receiving bribes, making and uttering a false document, and personation.
The matter will be mentioned on December 7, 2026, to confirm written submissions and give the judgment date.
