Former Director General of the Kenya National Museums, Mzalendo Kibunja, and administrative officers from his tenure have been charged with corruptly receiving Sh400 million from the organization under the pretense of paying non-existent workers.
They all pleaded not guilty at the Anti-corruption court in Nairobi on Tuesday and were instructed to deposit Sh5 million cash bail each or Sh10 million bond to secure their release as the case proceeds, with a mention scheduled for June 2.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offense took place between 2016 and 2022.
The court heard that Kibunja, along with Stanvas Ongalo (Director of Human Resources & Administration), Oliver Rabuor (ICT Officer), Wycliffe Ongatta (Payroll Accountant), and Oscar Mwaura (bank employee), received Sh441,392,075, purportedly for gratuity payments to individuals falsely claimed to be employed by the National Museums of Kenya.
Documents presented to the court indicate that between February 1, 2022, and July 1, 2022, the accused allegedly received Sh49 million, falsely represented as salary payments for Kenya National Museums of Kenya staff.
They also faced charges of money laundering and abuse of office, all of which they denied.
Defense counsel Duncan Okatch urged the court not to solely consider the amount of money stated in the charge sheet when deciding on bond and bail for the accused individuals.
The case is set for mention on June 2, 2024, for a pre-trial conference.
