All News | The Star, Kenya

Impala rugby player Sidindi didn't die from drowning, family says

the_star — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 05:36:50 +0000

The family of the late rugby player Richard Sidindi has trashed reports that he died from drowning.

Impala Saracens RFC where he played seemed to back this claim in a statement on Monday.

"Very unfortunate to lose Sidindi in very unfortunate circumstances. It is a big shock not only to Impala but the entire rugby fraternity in the country," the club said in a statement.

But Sidindi's guardian Rev. Jonathan Yahuma told the Star his death narrative is suspicious.

Yahuma said Sidindi was a well-trained swimmer, having started swimming 10 years ago.

“Were there no lifesavers around? His colleagues were around after they had come from practice, why didn’t they save his life?” he asked.

Yahuma, the late’s uncle, said his body was removed from the scene and stored in a morgue in the absence of the family.

The uncle further questioned why the club hurriedly conducted a postmortem without informing the family or Sidindi’s wife, Catherine.

“This makes us suspect a foul play,” Yahuma said.

Read: Impala player Richard Sidindi drowns in club's pool

Yahuma said autopsy results showed Sidindi had no physical injuries.

“He did not die in the water. I’m informed the doctor took parts of the body for further tests,” he said.

Yahuma said Sidindi’s family are set to meet later to decide the next cause of action.

He said the family's lawyer is piecing up details.

Yahuma lived with Sidindi in Siaya before and after his parents died while still young.

Sidindi played the fullback position at his immediate former club.

He played during the Impala match against Homeboyz at the same venue on Saturday.

Sidindi has been at the club since 2011 having joined Impala from Kisumu RFC.

He started his rugby career at St Marys School Yala and on completion joined Maseno University.

He was an astute and talented player. He could play winger or fullback and played for the sevens team for the last couple of years.

Sidindi leaves behind a wife Catherine and daughter Candace.

Click here for the latest political news

Fake ‘Uhuru’ lived flashy lifestyle

the_star — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 02:41:18 +0000

He runs charity initiatives, owns a fleet of four choppers and enjoys the high life. He seems every inch the big-hearted philanthropist. Not any more.

The unmasked 33-year-old Joseph Waswa, who mimicked President Uhuru Kenyatta's voice and swindled tycoon Naushad Merali of Sh80 million, is a controversial and scandal-ridden fake millionaire.

Because of his many magnanimous programmes to help the needy and support community projects, and his inspiring lifestyle, there seemed no reason to question this billionaire status. Kenya is full of them.

Projecting the ideal that so many aspire to, Waswa was untouchable. He took villagers by storm as he tested his choppers and luxury cars.

Read: 'Fake President Uhuru' cons Nairobi businessman Sh80 million - Police

Said to be eyeing the Bungoma Senate seat in 2022, Waswa was the darling of many due to his charity donations, the Lendrix Foundation and handouts. Who would ever think he was overly generous or question the source of his wealth?

Waswa has donated millions of shillings to construct schools across Bungoma county.

Little do villagers know that their benefactor also runs, or ran, an elaborate scam that conned many Kenyans of their hard-earned cash.

Industrialist Merali, whom he suckered in by mimicking President Kenyatta, is just one of many innocent Kenyans who have suffered.

But on Monday, Waswa — and co-accused Duncan Muchai, Isaac Wajekeche, William Simiyu, David Luganya, Gilbert Kirunja and Anthony Wafula — were humbled when they were cornered and arraigned in court.

They had colluded with government officials and had lured Merali with a promise of giving him lucrative and restricted tenders mainly involving supply of goods.

Read: How fake Uhuru conned Merali firm out of Sh80 million

But is Waswa a stranger to controversy? No.

Demonstrating his high-flying status, the flamboyant politician took a sleepy village in Kitui county by storm in December 2017 when he landed with four helicopters to pay dowry for his wife.

This was no ordinary ceremony in the village. Waswa and his fiancee Maureen Tabitha exchanged rings estimated to have cost around Sh1.6 million in what left villagers reeling in shock.

Many could not fathom what the bride price must have been, but it is believed that tens of millions of shillings were paid.

The four choppers shot laid-back Nzalatani Village into the limelight.

Among the high and mighty who attended the event were MPs Charles Nguna (Mwingi West), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Caleb Amisi (Saboti) and Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills).

A fleet of high-end, V-8 vehicles were on standby to pick the guests from a playing field, home of the bride to be.

Read: Businessman on dowry mission flies to sleepy village in 4 choppers

BOOMING BUSINESS

Hotel rooms in Kitui, usually unoccupied except for the December festive season, were fully booked by the Waswa entourage.

Thanks to Waswa and his guests, businessmen including bar patrons recorded booming sales.

Elsewhere, villagers were treated to a night party with plenty of food and drink.

In 2016 Waswa had shocked villagers and the whole of Bungoma county when he offered a helicopter ride to a man who had hung onto a flying helicopter.

Saleh Wanjala, 41, had hung onto the chopper from the Posta Grounds to the Bungoma Airstrip, where he jumped off as the aircraft descended. It was carrying the body of slain businessman Jacob Juma. Wanjala came to be known as the James Bond of Bungoma.

He got a free flight to Nairobi courtesy of Waswa.

Waswa was celebrated for his generosity.

MURDER

Waswa’s daring fraud against Merali lifted the lid on his run-ins with the law.

In 2014, Waswa was arrested and arraigned at the Bungoma High Court on charges of murdering Mombasa University student Mitch Barasa Kibiti.

The slain student was the son of a former Bungoma chief officer David Kibiti.

The court heard that Waswa shot dead Mitch at his hotel in Kimilili while he was celebrating his birthday with friends.

Residents later torched Waswa’s Etonia Hotel in Kimilili.

Waswa was represented by top lawyers, including PLO Lumumba and Cliff Ombeta.

The case is still underway after ballistics reports indicated that the murder weapon was not Waswa's.

In his drama-laden life, Waswa, always accompanied by security guards, was ambushed by Flying Squad officers over alleged threats to the victim's family.

Read: Police mount manhunt for Bungoma 'killer' trader

Trouble started when police rearrested Waswa who had just finished the hearing of his murder case.

There was more drama when police and the DPP exchanged bitterly over an alleged bribe from Waswa.

Police accused John Oyimbo representing the DPP of taking a bribe from Waswa.

Police claimed Oyimbo took off of with the prosecution file when they were about to charge Waswa for failing to submit his firearm license that had been cancelled.

Oyimbo had been earlier dropped from representing the DPP in the murder case after Kibiti's family complained of ineffectiveness and aiding the suspect.

Last year, Waswa was again mentioned in connection with how retired judge Philip Ransley was involved in money business.

The former judge had allegedly transferred millions of shillings of his clients’ money to individuals’ accounts.

On June 17, 2015, he allegedly transferred Sh57 million by swift transfer from an account at Chase Bank Riverside branch to Joseph Lendrix Waswa.

It is not clear if the name of this account is associated with the politician, even if the names appear similar.

Ransley, who is wanted by the Director of Public Prosecutions to face charges of embezzling funds, has since fled to England.

Kenya has been seeking Ransley's extradition from London for stealing Sh255 million of client funds belonging to Rowland Minns and Angela Scott.

On December 12, 2018, Ransley failed to show up in Westminster magistrates court where he was fighting his extradition case.

His barrister Malcolm Hawkes said that the retired judge was unwell, but added that talks were going on between Ransley and Minns. He said it was possible that the charges could be withdrawn.

Read: Ransley fails to appear in UK court

Click here for the latest political news

Flashy 'fake' Uhuru, Amina appeals for leftovers, Kenya budgets unrealistic: Your Breakfast Briefing

the_star — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 02:56:52 +0000

Good morning

Seven suspects accused of impersonating President Uhuru Kenyatta have challenged the prosecution to produce him in court as a witness.

The seven - Joseph Waswa, Duncan Muchai, Isaac Wajekeche, William Simiyu, David Luganya, Gilbert Kirunja and Anthony Wafula told a magistrate the law does not bar Kenyatta from appearing as a witness or complainant in the case.

Here are the other stories making headlines in the Star this morning.

The flashy life of Uhuru mimic Waswa

He has been running charity initiatives, driving high-end luxury vehicles and flying in choppers; and to many unsuspecting Kenyans, cutting the image of an established philanthropist.

Not any more.

The unmasked 33-year-old Joseph Waswa, who mimicked President Uhuru Kenyatta and conned businessman Naushed Merali of a cool Sh80 million, is a controversial and scandal-ridden fake millionaire.

_____________________________________________________

Robbery victim hospitalised in KNH for two years

A raid at his M-Pesa shop two years ago left Robert Wanyonyi paralysed, hospitalised and helpless.

He is detained in the hospital because he is unable to raise Sh4 million hospital bill. He was discharged six months ago but his family has been unable to raise the cash.

Wanyonyi was going about his daily routine at 6.30am on may 2, 2017, in Pipeline estate when three robbers stormed his shop. They stole Sh50,000, a phone, shot him twice and left him for dead.

_____________________________________________________

Amina appeals for budget 'leftovers' from other ministries to support 100 per cent transition

Education ministry is seeking 'leftover' funds from other ministries to address the high number of students admitted to secondary school this year.

The high numbers pose a new challenge on sustainability with the available limited resources pinched further and is now threatening to cripple teaching and learning.

The government wants all pupils who sat this year’s KCPE exam admitted through it much-touted 100 per cent transition.

_____________________________________________________

Farmers sell eggs at throwaway prices, burn trayloads as imports hurt profits

Poultry farmers are struggling to break even due to high cost of feeds and low returns as Ugandan imports shrink prices.

The price of a tray of eggs has gone down from Sh270 to a low of Sh150 since June last year.

So big is the problem that farmers operating at Wangige, one of the largest East African egg markets, demonstrated on February 5 against poor egg prices.

The farmers say cheap eggs from Uganda have flooded the market and created an artificial glut.

_____________________________________________________

ICPAK blames Treasury for unrealistic budgets

Accountants have accused Treasury of presenting over-ambitious and unrealistic budgets that end up pilling pressure on Kenyans as the tax collection agency strives to meet the targets.

This is proven by the Kenya Revenue Authority's increased failure to meet set targets over the last three financial years.

In their submission to Parliament on the Budget Policy Statement 2019, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya said the unfeasible budgets are causing lack of balance in the economy.

_____________________________________________________

For more on these stories and others, keep browsing the Star website for the latest news making headlines across Kenya and around the world.

To get the Breakfast Briefing right in your inbox every morning, click here for a free subscription.

Click here for the latest political news

Buhari re-elected as Nigerian President

the_star — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 03:10:52 +0000

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected for a second four-year term, final results from Saturday's general election show.

The 76-year-old defeated his main rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, with a margin of just under four million votes.

Mr Abubakar's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result.

Delays and violence marred the run-up to the poll but no independent observer has cited electoral fraud.

Mr Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 19 of the 36 states while the PDP was victorious in 17 states and in the capital, Abuja, according to the electoral commission (Inec).

Turnout was just below 35% of registered voters. The commission will make a formal declaration on Wednesday.

Some supporters of Mr Buhari took to the streets late on Tuesday in celebration.

Who is Buhari?

A former soldier, Mr Buhari led a military regime for 20 months in the 1980s and was first elected president in 2015, becoming the first opposition candidate to defeat an incumbent and win the presidency.

His record in office is mixed. Mr Buhari's critics say that the very attributes that won over voters four years ago - his strictness and inflexibility - have emerged as liabilities. They accuse him of autocratic leanings as well as a disastrous tendency towards inaction.

Mr Buhari's supporters can argue that he has largely delivered on campaign pledges such as tackling corruption and cracking down on Boko Haram. But they may struggle to point to concrete achievements in other fields, such as fixing the economy.

Lowest turnout in 20 years

By Tomi Oladipo, BBC News, Abuja

The announcing of Nigeria's election result dragged on through its second day as the paperwork came in from around the country. But as Tuesday night wore on, the outcome became more apparent, with President Buhari securing 15 million votes.

Initial results indicated high voter turnouts in the north, from where Mr Buhari has received the bulk of his votes. But the national turnout figures look to have been the lowest since the country's return to democracy 20 years ago.

The opposition PDP alleges some figures were incorrect but the ruling APC dismissed these claims.

Nigeria's electoral commission will review any alleged discrepancies before announcing the final results and declaring the winner.

What are the main issues?

Africa's most populous nation and the largest economy faces a range of problems including power shortages, corruption, security threats, and an economic slowdown.

Nigeria is Africa's leading oil producer but corruption and a failure to invest the proceeds from the industry have hampered development.

A slow recovery from a recession in 2016 means there are not enough jobs for a large number of young people joining the employment market. About a quarter of the working age population is unemployed.

Election in numbers

73 million have voters' cards
51% of the electorate under the age of 35
73 registered presidential candidates
120,000 polling stations

What is the opposition saying?

Earlier on Tuesday, PDP chair Uche Secondus called the count "incorrect and unacceptable". The party said counting should be stopped, alleging data from voter card readers had been manipulated.

The federal government accused the PDP of trying to "scuttle the polls" and prompt a constitutional crisis.

Some 130 people have been taken into custody suspected of electoral offences, reports say.

The initial vote was postponed early on 16 February, five hours before polls were due to open. Voters were also choosing members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

Click here for the latest political news

EXPERT COMMENT: Mimicry case shows people believe leaders corruptly confer benefits

the_star — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 02:43:34 +0000

The Bribery Act we passed recently basically makes it an offence to receive and give a bribe.

If the law is enforced properly, we are saying that both sides-giver and taker-will be culpable. Not just the receivers but the givers as well.

In the past, the law had not been very clear but now it is crystal clear. Both sides are culpable, it is an offence to both receive and it is an offence to give. (enforce).

But there are not many cases where you will get to know both the receiver and the giver of the bribe unless it is a sting operation.

It’s usually a bit of a challenge but when you have a straightforward case, then law enforcement should be interested in looking at it from the other perspective.

The recent case of people extorting by mimicking President Uhuru Kenyatta’s voice, for me, is actually laughable because there are so many people who can mimic others.

For you to just part with money on the strength of the voice of someone you haven't even met is laughable.

But I think it is perhaps indicative of the fact that these things are happening in our society in the way this happened and therefore it was just probably one other conversation that would have taken place.

What this case basically means is what we have always known - that leadership in this country confers benefits on people, so the value of the leadership that we continue to perpetuate is that just by virtue of being proximate to power, you can get these privileges.

It is, of course, a sign that as a society we need to recalibrate and make our leadership that one which serves the people and not leadership that confers benefits on individuals rather than serving society at large.

If, for example, these guys had mimicked my voice, I would not have given them any money. The fact that they impersonated someone who is high up there and who is perceived to be able to confer benefits managed to convince the old money to part with it.

The CEO of Transparency International Kenya spoke to the Star

Resign over dam scams, Rotich and Chelugui told

the_star — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:22:48 +0000

ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi has asked Treasury CS Henry Rotich and his Water counterpart Simon Chelugui to resign over the Sh68 billion construction of dams scam.

The former deputy prime minister said officials heading parastatals mentioned in the scandals should also quit for effective investigations. “For a start, the Cabinet secretaries for Treasury and Water and the officers associated with this matter, including the CEO of Kerio Valley Development Authority, must go,” Musalia said in a statement yesterday.

He was responding to media reports that Sh38 billion was irregularly allocated to an Italian company to build Arror dam.

The allocation was done without regard for procurement procedure.

Other scandals involved Itare Dam Water Supply Project in Nakuru and Kimwarer Multi-Purpose Dam Project in Elgeyo-Marakwet.

Read: Kinoti summons big names in dams probe

The two were to be built at a cost of Sh40 billion and Sh28 billion respectively.

“We spent Sh21 billion on a project that had not even been designed. We carried out due diligence several months after making the payment,” the ANC boss said.

“We did the so-called due diligence in South Africa and not in Italy, where the bankrupt company is domiciled.”

Musalia said the two CSs’ continued stay in office will compromise prosecution and deny Kenyans justice. “If they don’t resign, President Uhuru Kenyatta must sack them, forthwith. It is pointless to investigate persons who are still in office.”

Mudavadi asked Uhuru to take the war against corruption seriously, saying graft has denied Kenyans basic services.

He said the dam projects were deliberately conceived to be phantom assignments to provide avenues for stealing. “These people should not just be allowed to go home to enjoy their stolen wealth. They must be taken to court and ultimately to jail,” Musalia said.

He also wants the suspects’ assets frozen pending their recovery. “I reiterate my call that it is time to move from handshakes to handcuffs.”

He asked Parliament to reject budgets designed for theft and called on the DCI to conduct thorough investigations.

Click here for the latest political news

At least 300 guns recovered from fake firearm holders

the_star — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:20:26 +0000

More than 300 guns and 5,000 bullets have been confiscated from firearm holders with fake licences, the Firearms Licensing Board said yesterday.

Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said the individuals fraudulently obtained the firearms.

He said some firearms have ended up in wrong hands “either because people came and compromised the system and got the firearms even before they were tested or even physically appeared before the board because of the way we have been doing things in the past.”

He said all people with firearms must appears before the board so that the agency knows who holds the licence.

Read: Gun owners withdraw vetting case, agree to support Matiang'i process

Some of the firearms recovered are military grade weapons that should not be in the hands of civilians, the CS said.

Matiang’i said he was shocked a candidate appeared for vetting with five pistols and 14 assault rifles including four sophisticated weapons.

The moratorium for people with fake licences or in possession of firearms without licences ends on March 7. Matiang’i said “there shall be no extension even for an hour.”

Police will launch a crackdown on those with illegal firearms after the vetting ends.

The board will publish the schedule for the remaining regions in the country and how it will conduct the vetting.

“You can see the exercise is being done meticulously. Records are being checked with firearm holders taking their weapons to DCI headquarters for ballistic tests,” the CS said. The holders were asked to take their certificates of psychiatrist test before they are issued with licences. The vetting began three weeks ago in Nairobi with over 3,500 firearm holders vetted.

More: Mathari hospital senior director arrested over Sh5,000 bribe from gun owners

Click here for the latest political news

Eldoret man ‘murders fiancee, seeks help to dump her body’

the_star — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:20:49 +0000

The 37-year-old Eldoret man who allegedly killed his girlfriend yesterday asked his neighbour to help him dump the body.

Aaron Kibyiego said David Siloba sought his help so they could carry the body of 25-year-old Fiona Kisuya to a rubbish pit.

“He told me he had killed his wife and wanted help to dump the body,” he said.

Kibyiego said he dashed out his house and Siloba tried to force him to enter the house where the body was, but he refused and rushed to report him.

Siloba returned from the US last month. Some residents said he was deported over crime and drug abuse. He had lived with his parents.

Read: Eldoret man hacks wife to death, sets body on fire after quarrel

Police officers found the suspect had allegedly dumped the body and set it aflame. He was standing nearby. They arrested him.

Eldoret East police boss John Owuoth said Siloba must have strangled Fiona and used a panga to cut her body before moving it to the pit.

The body was partly burnt and the officers had a difficult time removing it from the pit.

The woman’s throat had been slit and one hand was severed.

“The body had deep cuts all over. We’ve taken it to the morgue at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital as we continue with investigations,” Owuoth said.

Neighbours said the two fought often, sometimes in public.

“They have not had a good relationship because they kept on fighting all over,” one of them said.

Recently, Siloba pulled Fiona’s hair after they quarrelled near Kapsoya centre, he said.

Click here for the latest political news

CORRIDORS OF POWER

the_star — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:21:11 +0000

A magistrate in Western Kenya is on the spot over bribery allegations. The randy magistrate allegedly received Sh3 million from an inmate’s relatives to aid in bribing another magistrate in Nairobi over a case that involved a former union official. Shockingly for the family, the suspect was jailed. The angry family is now on the magistrate’s case demanding back their money. Sources familiar with the deal told Corridors the man under siege has reportedly refunded less than Sh1 million in instalments. The family has been waiting for the balance in vain and now plan to petition Chief Justice David Maraga for action.

*****

A looming political war between a governor and senator from a Nyanza county has threatened to stall a Sh526 million World Bank project, which has been the centre of a political storm. The governor has been accusing the senator of financing a group that sued to stop the project. After successfully convincing a petitioner to drop the case, his office has been faced with a fresh lawsuit against the project from the senator’s backyard. Interestingly, the new suit has been filed by the same law firm, which is associated by the senator in his court process and petitions.

*****

A senior ODM lawmaker who is close to party leader Raila Odinga is at war with his colleagues. The lawmaker, who has Raila’s ears, has been accused of ‘insulating’ the opposition chief and blocking other parliamentarians from reaching him. The disgruntled MPs, mostly from Northeastern, have now vowed to support rival candidates in the upcoming three by-elections to teach him and the party a lesson. On Monday, a number of ODM members accompanied Jubilee MP Ahmed Kolosh when he presented his nomination papers to the IEBC for clearance. The MPs said the gesture was the beginning of the rebellion in the Orange ship.

*****

Still on ODM, it looks like the party has yet to learn any lesson on how to effectively handle the infamous cartels who auction certificates to the highest bidder, after the last three elections. While the 2022 election is far off, a senior politician with roots at Orange House is already being accused of using his aides to solicit for money from potential aspirants ahead of the polls, with a promise of being issued with certificates. The aides have mapped out leaders accused of being in ‘tanga tanga’ and are asking their potential rivals to part with money. Two potential ward aspirants said they parted with Sh10,000 and Sh20,000. This raised a storm and resulted in calls to have the officials who were in charge of the last polls replaced in the upcoming party grassroots elections.

*****

“If something bad smells in the basement, it will eventually make its way to the attic” — Anthony Liccione

Click here for the latest political news

Suspects want real Uhuru in court

the_star — Tue, 26 Feb 2019 21:21:31 +0000

Seven suspects accused of impersonating President Uhuru Kenyatta have challenged the prosecution to produce him in court as a witness.

The seven are accused of using mobile number 0722-208842 to call the chairman of Sameer Africa Naushad Merali to release Sh10 million while mimicking Kenyatta.

Their lawyer Cliff Ombeta said that in the absence of confirmation from Kenyatta that the number is not his, what’s before court is mere speculation.

“A telephone number was cited in the affidavit by Inspector James Mwangi, but no annexture from any mobile phone provider has been presented to confirm if the numbers exists and who it is registered under,” said Ombetta. He was making the arguments while opposing an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions to have the seven detained for 10 days pending further investigations.

Prosecutor Edwin Okello said it’s unfortunate the case involves the President, but whether or not he should be summoned as a witness is "neither here nor there".

Read: 'Fake President Uhuru' cons Nairobi businessman Sh80 million - Police

He urged the court to allow their application and detain the seven for 10 days due to the complexity of the investigations and the number of suspects involved, including some who are still at large. He told the court that the investigations will involve going through voluminous documents including bank documents and call data records.

“The nature of investigations in this case is complex since it requires communication data from several service providers which ordinarily requires time. We need to establish the details of the bank account which was used to defraud Sh10 million and the signatories to the account, “ he said.

Magistrate Peter Ooko dismissed the prosecution application saying none of the seven work with any mobile service provider or at the bank where the said Sh10 million was deposited.

“I do not know how the suspects would interfere with the banks as the bank account stated by the prosecution is for a suspect Reuben Njuguna who is not present in court,”

The complainant, Akif Hamid Butt, the Finance Director of Sameer Africa, allegedly wired the Sh10 million via electronic money transfer from Sameer Africa Bank account to an Equity Bank account in the name of Reuben Njuguna. Njuguna has not been presented in court.

It was for those reasons that Ooko failed to find any compelling reasons to detain the seven. He immediately ordered they either be charged or discharged by close of yesterday.

This prompted the State to prepare and register a charge sheet four hours later. The seven were then presented before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi a few minutes to 5pm. But the magistrate directed they be arraigned today since it was past working hours.

According to the charge sheet, Waswa, Muchai, Wajekeche, Simiyu, Luganya, Kirunja and Wafula are accused of obtaining Sh10 million from Akif Hamid Butt by falsely pretending they could sell to Sameer Africa a parcel of land known as LR No. 10090/118 in Milimani area, Nairobi.

More: How fake Uhuru conned Merali firm out of Sh80 million

The offence is said to have been committed between 24 January and February 1 this year, at Prime Bank, Riverside Drive, Nairobi.

According to the court documents, Akif lost Sh10 million to the alleged fraudsters.

The seven used mobile number 0722-208842 and called the Merali, the chairman of Sameer Africa, to facilitate the release of the money while mimicking the voice of Kenyatta calling from State House, Nairobi.

Merali was outside the country on a business trip when he received the call from the suspects and gave a go ahead to the Butt to process the payments.

Akif was then given an account number held at Equity Bank in which he deposited the money.

“The complainant was being contacted by the fraudsters using several telephone numbers purportedly from President Uhuru Kenyatta. He later realised he was dealing with fraudsters after he had already lost his Sh10 million shillings,” part of the affidavit said.

Click here for the latest political news