Court Freezes Prime Properties Linked to Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria

The High Court has frozen two prime properties linked to Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria suspected to have been acquired from funds siphoned from the county government.

The freezing orders were issued on Wednesday by Justice Esther Maina pending the determination of a petition seeking to have the properties forfeited to the government.

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says the 13-acre parcel in Mweiga, Nyeri County, and another in Nairobi’s Umoja Innercore were acquired from payments for contracts awarded to a media company known as Top Image which was paid Sh542.6 million between 2013 and 2017 by the county government.

The anti-graft agency accuses Governor Wairia of receiving kickbacks and bribes from the company, which he has interests directly and indirectly, and using his office to enrich himself, his spouse, and associates.

Wa Iria is alleged to have influenced the award of tenders in favor of Top Image, a company owned by his close associates or relatives.

EACC says the media company would subsequently transfer the funds received from the county government to Wa Iria directly and indirectly through another company known as Value View Ltd, where the governor’s wife is a director.

Top Image later purchased the two parcels of land on behalf of Value View. The property in Umoja was purchased for Sh7.5 million in September 2014 and was paid in full by Top Image, while the parcel in Nyeri was acquired for Sh8.8 million in January 2015.

“That preliminary investigations have also revealed that the 1st respondent (Wa Iria) has also been in direct and indirect receipt of substantial sums of money from the 2nd respondent (Top Image) during the time that he has been governor of Murang’a County,” EACC says in court documents.

Wa Iria insists he does not own the frozen properties and accuses EACC of a witch-hunt in the probe.