NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 26 – Bishop David Ngare Gakuyo has been formally charged with obtaining Sh1.3 billion through false pretences.
Appearing before senior principal magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi, he denied 13 counts of obtaining money by false means allegedly committed between 2015 and 2018.
The prosecution alleged that Bishop Gakuyo utilized Ekeza Sacco to defraud individuals, many of whom sought to invest in land.
Specifically, it was claimed that he falsely promised Elizabeth Wairimu Mwangi a loan three times the amount she had invested in Ekeza Sacco, resulting in her transferring Sh170,000.
Released on a cash bail of Sh10 million with two contact persons of similar financial standing, the accused was also granted an alternative bond of Kshs 20 million with two sureties.
Additionally, he was instructed to surrender his passport to the court and refrain from tampering with witnesses involved in the ongoing investigation.
The court scheduled the next mention of the case for March 07 for pretrial proceedings. Bishop Gakuyo was apprehended on 21/02/24 at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while attempting to depart for Zambia.
Initially held at Muthaiga police station, he was brought before the court on 22/02/24, where the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) requested four days of custodial detention, but was granted only one.
Represented by a team of lawyers including Ndegwa Njiru, Danstan Omari, and James Mambo Leo, among others, Bishop Gakuyo faces a protracted legal battle over the alleged financial improprieties.