Former Nairobi County governor Evans Kidero has been dealt a major blow in his bid to stop investigating agencies from probing how he acquired his wealth.
The Court of Appeal has declined to bar the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) from probing Kidero and his wife Susan Mboya’s property and accounts in a quest to recover unexplained wealth.
Justices Roslyn Nambuye, Daniel Musinga, and Gatembu Kairu ruled that investigations and filing of an asset recovery case had not started, hence Kidero had not convinced them that barring the anti-graft watchdog from investigating his family’s wealth would be adverse.
The Kideros went to the Appeals Court after the anti-corruption court in Nairobi dismissed their case in June.
Justice Mumbi Ngugi, in her verdict, said the couple’s privacy rights had not been violated. In the case, Kidero’s wife claimed she was a woman of means and had acquired her wealth, which was distinct from what her husband has.
However, Justice Ngugi ruled that although her wealth ought to be protected, there was a need to ascertain that she did not acquire it in concert with Kidero.
In the case, the anti-graft agency claimed its investigations had revealed that Kidero had assets worth Sh9 billion.
In a reply filed before the anti-corruption court, where Kidero is seeking orders to block investigations into his source of wealth, EACC claims it has reasonable suspicion to believe that the former governor was involved in corruption or economic crimes.
According to Mulki Abdi Umar, one of the investigators in the case, Kidero also owns 11 vehicles that include Range Rovers and Mercedes Benzes.
He, however, did not reveal how much the vehicles were worth in his reply before Justice Hedwig Ong’undi.
Investigations revealed that Kidero owns 50 rental units on Riara Road estimated at Sh1 billion and another property known as Muthaiga Heights worth the same amount.
Mr Umar said he received several complainants saying Kidero had illegally acquired wealth while he was the Mumias Sugar Company managing director and the Nairobi governor.