Gideon Mwiti, a former Member of Parliament (MP) who was accused of fraud and rape has died aged 57, family confirms.
The deceased who was a one term MP for Imenti Central from 2013 to 2017 succumbed to diabetes-related complications after being rushed to the Nairobi Hospital.
Court cases
In 2018, Mwiti was charged afresh at Milimani law court over a rape case that was first reported in 2015.
Mwiti appeared before Nairobi chief Magistrate Francis Andayi and denied four counts of rape, intimidation and assault contrary to the law.
It was alleged that on March 21, 2015 at Tana club on Woodvale Groove, Westlands, he raped a woman.
In the second count Mwiti is said to have committed an indecent act with a child contrary to the law on similar dates and place.
It is further alleged that on March 1, 2015, Mwiti injured a woman with intent to commit sexual intercourse with her, unlawfully.
Fraud
In 2013, the late, was acquitted of fraud charges with magistrate Elena Nderitu saying shoddy investigations undermined the prosecution’s case.
“The prosecution has failed to prove its case against the accused person as investigators clearly left loose ends in their probe,” Nderitu said.
The court ruled that none of the money was paid to Mwiti neither did the video evidence connect him to the offence.
He had been accused of inducing members to deposit money with the defunct Kenya Business Community Sacco which the government shut down in 2009.
The prosecution had alleged that Mwiti tricked 12 members of the Sacco to part with Sh13 million under the guise that the savings would earn an interest rate of 16 per cent per month.
She said the Sacco was a legal entity with a list of officials which did not include Mwiti. “Nowhere does his name appear as an official, a member or a shareholder,” she said, adding that the prosecution should have called the officials as witnesses.
She said the investigators did not make efforts to track the Sacco officials “who would have perhaps alleged that the accused was acting behind cover.”
Moreover, the magistrate said, the complainants never saw Mwiti at the sacco offices during their numerous visits.
“In the event, the court cannot convict him on hearsay and forthrightly acquits him of all 12 counts unless proven otherwise,” the magistrate said.
Mwiti had told the court his role had been “purely that of external consultant” and he had not participated in the day to day affairs of the Sacco.