Ex- Sports PS Kaberia released on Sh1m bail in Sh330.6m CHAN graft case

Ex-Sports PS Peter Kaberia freed on Sh1m bail over alleged Sh330.6m CHAN graft. [File, Standard]

Former Sports Principal Secretary Peter Kirimi Kaberia has been released on a cash bail of Sh1 million in a Sh330.6 million graft case linked to alleged irregularities in a tender for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Milimani Anti-Corruption Magistrate Isabella Barasa also released Kaberia’s co-accused on separate bail terms ranging from Sh600,000 to Sh1 million, depending on the offences they face.

“Accused persons 1, 2, 4, 5, 12 and 13 were granted a Sh3 million bond or Sh1 million cash bail, while accused persons 14, 15 and 16 were granted a Sh2 million bond or Sh600,000 cash bail,” Magistrate Barasa ordered.

Former Sports PS Peter Kaberia (R) and co-accused persons before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court in Nairobi on September 8, 2026. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The court directed Kaberia and his co-accused to surrender their passports within seven days and barred them from travelling outside the court’s jurisdiction without permission.

The magistrate also issued summons against seven accused persons who failed to appear for plea-taking, requiring them to attend court and take plea on September 15, 2026.

Those summoned are former Sports Ministry Director of Administration Harun Chebet Komen, Spanish national Marcos Gonzalez Puente, Auditel Kenya Limited, businessman Muema Kitheka, Restea Enterprises Limited and businessman Ephraim Kinyua Muchangi.

Kaberia and the accused persons who were present had earlier in the day pleaded not guilty to the 17 corruption-related charges brought against them by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

The charges they face include conspiracy to commit an economic crime, abuse of office, unlawful acquisition of public property, wilful failure to comply with procurement laws, acquisition of proceeds of crime and financial misconduct.

According to the prosecution, the charges relate to an alleged payment of USD3,154,322.40, equivalent to Sh330,573,997.52, to Auditel Kenya as an advance under tender No. MOSCA/CHAN/001/2017-2018.

The tender covered the design, supply, testing, commissioning and supervision of security, access control, communication, audio-visual and pitch lighting systems for five stadia selected to host the tournament.

Kaberia, who was then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts, is accused of abusing his office by improperly conferring a benefit of Sh330.6 million on Auditel Kenya by signing the contract without undertaking the required procurement process.

Former Senior Principal Finance Officer Stephen Njoroge Muthuma and former Principal Accountant Enock Ondwari Onditi are accused of authorising the transfer of the funds from a Ministry of Sports account at National Bank of Kenya to Auditel Kenya’s account at Bankinter S.A. in Spain.

Former Senior Superintendent Engineer at Sports Kenya John Kiende Ruga was charged with requesting processing of the advance payment while allegedly aware that Auditel Kenya had not taken over the stadium for commencement of the works.

The prosecution further alleges that the funds were subsequently transferred through various entities in an attempt to conceal their source and facilitate their movement back to Kenya.

Others facing charges over the alleged movement of the funds are businessmen linked to Restea Enterprises, Leasepath Limited, Leasepride Limited, Taxwise Africa Consulting LLP and Liroma Assurance Services Limited.

The case stems from investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) into the alleged irregular award and payment of a contract for the supply and installation of security, access control, communications, audio-visual and pitch lighting systems at stadia selected to host CHAN 2018.

According to the EACC, the contract was valued at about Sh1.5 billion and was awarded in 2017 by the State Department for Sports in the then Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts to Auditel Kenya Limited, a Spanish company registered in Kenya.

EACC Director of Legal Services and Asset Recovery David Too said investigations established that an advance payment of about Sh330 million was made to Auditel under a contract that had not been procured in accordance with the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015.

The company subsequently failed to fulfil its contractual obligations, resulting in an alleged loss of the Sh330 million advance, while continuing to demand payment of the balance of the contract sum.

The commission said it had also instituted civil proceedings seeking to recover the money allegedly lost in the transaction from the company and persons linked to the funds.

“We will remain committed to protecting public resources and ensure that public officers and other persons entrusted with the resources are held accountable when they abuse their positions,” Too said.

EACC said it would continue investigating and prosecuting cases involving alleged misuse of public resources regardless of the status of the individuals involved, including those seeking political office.