Waluke to lose MP seat if he fails to raise over Sh700m court fine

By , K24 Digital
On Thu, 25 Jun, 2020 19:41 | < 1 min read
John Waluke and Grace Wakhung
Ms Grace Wakhungu and Sirisia MP John Waluke during their sentencing for fraud on June 25, 2020. PHOTO/Sheila Mutua

Sirisia MP John Waluke and his co-accused Grace Wakhungu have been saved from going to jail on condition that they pay fines imposed on each of the five counts they were convicted of.

The fines include paying back each double the amount that was lost at the National Cereals and Produce Board through their fraud.

Waluke risks losing his parliamentary should he fail to pay over Sh720 million in fines.

Nairobi Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Juma said the court will write to the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare Sisiria parliamentary vacant Waluke fail to post fine.

She ordered the MP to pay a fine of Sh100,000 each for count one and two, Sh500,000 for count three and another Sh500,000 for count four.

In addition to those fines, both accused were each ordered to pay back twice the Sh297 million that they received from NCPB and Sh26 million a complainant lost to them.

The magistrate declined to accept an application to allow for a pre-sentence report before making her judgement, arguing that the practice applies in cases that carry sentences of three years and below.

She agreed that the accused being first offenders deserve leniency and also given their advanced age.

But the court found that the offenses are serious and the accused persons took advantage of prevailing circumstances to swindle the organizations at a time Kenyans were facing hunger.

More follows.