Court Orders Former City Hall Official to Pay Sh198 Million Over Ill-Gotten Wealth

NAIROBI, Kenya – The High Court has ruled that former Nairobi County Purchasing Officer Michael Auka Ajwang must pay Sh198 million over assets acquired through questionable means.

This ruling comes after the court froze Ajwang’s assets in May 2023, citing his failure to justify the sources of his wealth.

The High Court’s Deputy Registrar, Adelaide Sisenda, delivered the judgment, marking a crucial step in the fight against corruption.

The ruling orders Ajwang to pay Ksh.22 million for a parcel of land in Siaya County within 30 days of the judgment.

Additionally, he is required to pay Ksh.176 million for a high-end hotel located on one of his properties within the next 12 months.

The assets under scrutiny include ten vehicles and nine parcels of land in Siaya and Kisumu counties, highlighting Ajwang’s significant but unexplained fortune.

One of these parcels in Kisumu is home to the upscale Hydeout Riviera Hotel.

Should Ajwang fail to comply with the payment orders, the court has decreed that 0.19 hectares of the hotel land be hived off from the Kisumu property, allowing the EACC to enforce the judgment and recover the amount owed.

The ruling also grants the EACC the authority to seize a sum of Ksh.799,000 previously confiscated from Ajwang.

In her ruling, Deputy Registrar Sisenda underscored the court’s commitment to upholding transparency and accountability in public office.

The judgment further states that the decretal sum will accrue interest at a rate of 12% per annum in the event of non-compliance.