Eight boda boda group officials ‘stole’ Sh5m from members

Eight directors of a Nakuru boda boda organisation were charged with defrauding its members of over Sh5 million.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Eight directors of a Nakuru boda boda organisation were charged Thursday with defrauding its members of over Sh5 million.

The money was raised by 200 members of the group and was meant to purchase a parcel of land.

The officials – Joseph Otieno, Hassan Ochieng, John Mutheki, David Mul, Sarah Wanjiku, Washington Anamange James Chitery and Joel Lito – appeared before Chief Magistrate Bildad Ochieng.

They were charged with seven counts relating to theft and misappropriation of funds belonging to the South Rift Boda Boda Limited.

The eight were jointly charged with conspiracy to misappropriate Sh3,243,141 from the group’s bank accounts between December 20, 2021 and April 2022 in Nakuru city.

They are said to have misappropriated the money while purporting to undertake a non-existent project.

Mr Otieno, Mr Ochieng, Ms Wanjiku and Mr Lito face a separate charge of stealing Sh40,600 from the organisation's account during the same period.

Mr Odero, Mr Ochieng and Mr Mutheki face a different charge of stealing Sh701, 620 from the accounts.

Mr Odero also faced two other counts of stealing a total of Sh430,000 from the group over the same period.

The suspects denied all the charges, and through their lawyers requested the court to release them on bond.

But prosecutors objected to granting bail to them.

In a sworn affidavit from investigator Daniel Ouma, prosecutors said the police could not guarantee the suspects’ safety as irate members of the organisation were still baying for their blood.

Mr Ouma also argued that the three were likely to interfere with witnesses, noting that divisions had emerged among the directors, who were likely to incite members into fighting each other.

“It is clear that the suspects, if released, are likely to revert to their ill motive engagements with the dissenting company members, which is likely to culminate in further conflicts between the two parties,” the officer said.

The court will rule on bond terms on Friday.