High Court Judge Asenath Ongeri has revealed how she courageously turned down a Sh50 million bribe from a city tycoon and threatened to jail the individual on the spot.
In her book, The Making of a Judge, she recounts the incident, which occurred while she was presiding over a property case involving a Nairobi tycoon accused of erecting illegal structures. The tycoon’s lawyer had initially pleaded for leniency, promising to demolish the structures.
However, the judge later discovered the tycoon’s real intention was to evict squatters and clear the land for a high-rise development. This revelation led her to approach the case with heightened caution.
One morning, during heavy El Niño rains, a lawyer arrived at her office carrying a large briefcase. Despite the cold weather, the man was sweating profusely. He offered the judge Sh250,000 upfront, with a promise of Sh50 million to follow, in exchange for signing off on fraudulent property documents.
The lawyer assured her that all paperwork was in order and that the money could be paid upfront or deposited in an offshore account if preferred.
Unmoved, Judge Ongeri sternly ordered the lawyer to remove the briefcase and leave her office, warning him of possible jail time. She later reported the bribery attempt to the police, but no action was taken against those involved.
The judge also recalls the lawyer attempting to intimidate her by recounting the story of a government secretary who refused to cooperate in a similar deal and later died in a road accident before testifying in court.
Unshaken, Judge Ongeri declared, “I’d rather die than be involved in corrupt deals.”
