The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Wednesday charged a former Taita Taveta County Government official over allegations of fraudulently acquiring Sh8.3 million through imprest claims.
According to court documents, the accused is said to have submitted payment requests for activities that never took place in several locations, including Dubai, Mombasa, Arusha, Nairobi, and within Taita Taveta County.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) identified the accused as Geffrey Kimonge Mbogo, a former director of political affairs in the Taita Taveta County Government.
He was charged at the Voi Anti-Corruption Court over the alleged offences. The prosecution claims the funds were obtained through false imprest warrants covering non-existent official engagements during the period in question.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences relate to the fraudulent acquisition of public funds amounting to Sh8,303,021 through imprest claims submitted for activities that reportedly never took place.
The court was told that the alleged offences occurred on diverse dates between November 20, 2015, and December 16, 2016, within Taita Taveta County.
Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Evah Kanyuira told the court that the accused allegedly used imprest warrants to obtain public funds under the claim that he had participated in official activities in multiple locations.
It was further alleged that the activities included travel to Dubai, Mombasa, Arusha, Nairobi, and within Taita Taveta County, which prosecutors say did not take place as claimed.
“The accused person is also alleged to have knowingly deceived his principal by applying for various imprest warrants totalling Sh8,303,021 for activities that he falsely claimed took place in multiple locations.”
The prosecution further stated that the accused fraudulently acquired public property from the county government, amounting to the full sum in question.
The former official denied the charges when he appeared before the court. He pleaded not guilty to the offences of fraudulent acquisition of public property and deceiving a principal.
Following the plea, the court ordered that he be released on a cash bail of Sh1,000,000 or an alternative bond of Sh2,000,000.
The matter has been scheduled for mention on July 1, 2026, for pre-trial proceedings.
The case adds to a growing number of corruption-related prosecutions involving alleged misuse of public funds within devolved government structures, as authorities continue efforts to enforce accountability in public finance management.