A former Wajir County Chief Officer, Daud Abdullahi Omar, has been acquitted by the Court of Appeal in a Sh26 million corruption case, overturning his previous four-year jail sentence.
Appellate judges Lydia Achode, Patrick Kiage, and Abida Ali Aroni ruled that Abdullahi was not a signatory to the account when the alleged offence occurred. The earlier conviction, upheld by the High Court, was quashed.
Abdullahi, who served as Chief Officer for Finance and Economic Planning, had been convicted alongside county officials Ahmed Omar and Jeff Mworia. The case stemmed from the designation of Mworia as the sole signatory to a county imprest account during a transitional period.
The judges noted that Abdullahi’s decision to authorize Mworia aimed to address a crisis involving unpaid casual workers. The court found no evidence of fraudulent acquisition of funds, highlighting that Mworia himself had been acquitted of related charges.
The Court of Appeal criticized the lower courts for allowing the withdrawal of funds by a single signatory to overly influence their judgment. They stated, “Had the two courts below considered whether the appellant’s actions were reasonable under the circumstances, they would likely have reached a different conclusion.”
The ruling ordered Abdullahi’s immediate release, provided he is not held on other legal grounds. In 2021, Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Teresia Murigi had convicted Abdullahi, Omar, and Mworia, sentencing them to either pay an Sh800,000 fine or serve a four-year jail term despite no evidence of personal benefit.
