Piece by: CAROLYNE KUBWA

28 March 2023

• Anti-Corruption chief magistrate Peter Ooko ruled that Oimeke was guilty of the offence after the prosecution proved its case beyond doubt against him.

• Alternatively, he has been ordered to pay a fine of Sh1 million.

Former Bonchari Member of Parliament Robert Oimeke has been sentenced to three years in prison.

This is after the court found him guilty of requesting a bribe of Sh500,000 bribe. Alternatively, he has been ordered to pay a fine of Sh1 million.

Anti-Corruption chief magistrate Peter Ooko ruled that Oimeke was guilty of the offence after the prosecution proved its case beyond doubt against him.

The magistrate however acquitted Oimeke on the first count of receiving a Sh200,000 bribe. The court noted that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

"I hereby acquit the accused on the first count under section 215 of the CPC, however, I find him guilty of the second count and convict him accordingly," the magistrate ruled.

The DPP asked the court to consider that the accused person is a first offender.

The court was further urged to consider the nature of the offence as he was still a government official at the time of committing the offence.

In mitigation, Oimeke said he is remorseful. And since he lost his job, he is now conscious of his actions and pleaded with the court for a lenient sentence.

The former MP, who at the time, served as the Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) had been charged with receiving Sh200,000 bribe in order to authorize the unsealing and opening of a filling station in Homa Bay county which had been closed for non-compliance with regulations.

The magistrate in his judgement noted that in the submissions by the defence, there were contradictions on where the money was recovered from.

In the second count, the former legislator was charged that on December 2, 2020, being a person employed by the Energy and Petroleum Regulator Authority as Director General, requested a financial advantage of Sh500,000 from a trader via Signal private messenger app.

The Homa Bay filling station had been fined Sh309,000 by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), which was paid and the complainant was issued a clearance letter to take to EPRA to authorize opening.

Oimeke, then EPRA Director General, allegedly demanded a Sh200,000 'facilitation fee' in order to open the station.