NAIROBI, Kenya – A clearing agent has been jailed for two years or fined Kes 3.05 million after he was found guilty of soliciting a bribe and obtaining money under false pretenses in a case involving a church-owned orphanage.
Philip Mutua Kilonzo was convicted on April 2 by the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court for demanding Kes 5.8 million from Grace Children’s Home, an orphanage affiliated with the African Evangelical Church Ministries in Kangundo, Machakos County.
He claimed the money was needed to have an alleged tax debt “written off” by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials.
Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Kilonzo had helped clear a cargo container for the orphanage in 2020, and all customs duties had been fully paid.
Despite this, he falsely claimed the church owed further taxes and demanded the bribe.
On October 1, 2020, he received Kes 20,000 from a church official, falsely presenting it as travel expenses for a trip from Busia to Nairobi, where he claimed he would negotiate with KRA.
Kilonzo was arrested in May 2024 after the Director of Public Prosecutions approved EACC’s recommendation to charge him under the Anti-Bribery Act and the Penal Code.
Principal Magistrate Celestine Okore sentenced him to two years in prison or a fine of Kes 1.5 million for two bribery counts, and an additional eight months or Kes 50,000 fine for obtaining money by false pretense. The sentences will run concurrently.
