The Director of Public Prosecutions has withdrawn Ksh19 million graft charges against former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa.
The move is a reprieve to Jumwa who has been nominated to the cabinet to serve as Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action cabinet secretary.
Her appointment had attracted a backlash from a section of Kenyans and the opposition over issues of integrity expected to feature prominently during vetting by Parliament.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka tore into the proposed Ruto Cabinet, noting that some nominees have active criminal cases and that he would whip his party members not to approve them. The sentiments were echoed by the Azimio legislators.
Jumwa however is not yet off the hook as she faces murder charges alongside her bodyguard in another case where they are accused of killing Gumbao Jola in Ganda in 2019.
However, Kenya Kwanza has maintained that the cases plaguing the nominees were politically instigated by the previous regime.
Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji dropped the charges after the defence lawyers asked for a review of the file.
So far only one witness had testified before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku.
Jumwa who failed to clinch Kilifi gubernatorial seat had been accused of embezzling Ksh19 million from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
She was charged alongside six others among them Wachu Omar Abdalla who is the Malindi CDF Account Manager.
They faced various offences like forgery and fraud in procurement and abuse of office.
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The post Reprieve for CS nominee Aisha Jumwa after DPP drops graft charges appeared first on KBC.
