In a major anti-corruption outcome, former KTDA General Manager Francis Mwenda has forfeited Ksh 35 million, which was declared proceeds of crime following an Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) investigation. Judge Patrick Otiende ordered the forfeiture under the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Act (POCAMLA).
ARA investigations linked Mwenda’s funds to suspicious cash deposits at NCBA Bank, where Mwenda’s accounts displayed transactions under Ksh1 million to avoid reporting thresholds. Mwenda claimed the funds were legitimate income from various sources, including per diems and a transport business. However, ARA’s audit found that these deposits exceeded Mwenda’s reported income from KTDA per diems and business earnings.
Despite Mwenda’s defence, Judge Otiende ruled that the Ksh 35 million could not be explained as lawful earnings, ordering the forfeiture as required by POCAMLA.
