Former University of Nairobi Council member Joel Kibe has denied charges of abuse of office, saying he was not in the country at the time the alleged offence occurred.
Kibe is among five individuals — including University Council Chairperson Prof. Amukowa Anangwe — who have been charged in connection with the irregular appointment of Daniel Brian Ouma Okeyo as Acting Chief Operations Officer at the institution.
However, Kibe, a businessman and former council member, says he was in Japan on official business on 19 April 2024 — the date Ouma was allegedly appointed to the role.
“Our client has seen a charge sheet in circulation online, alleging that he, together with others, committed the said offence on the above date. We are instructed to inform you that Mr Kibe was not in Kenya on 19 April 2024. He was, at the time, on official business in Japan,” his legal team, Mwaniki Gachoka & Co. Advocates, said in a letter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Supporting documents — including flight tickets, a passport copy, a boarding pass, and a gazette notice showing Kibe’s earlier removal from the UoN Council — have been submitted to the EACC and copied to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
“These documents clearly show that our client was physically absent from the country on the date the alleged offence was committed and therefore could not have been involved in any unlawful activity within Kenya at the material time,” the letter reads.
Kibe was notably absent from the group of council members who were taken to the EACC headquarters at Integrity Centre on Friday, 16 May, before being arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts. The four who appeared in court denied the charges and were each released on a cash bail of KSh500,000.
Kibe’s legal team argues that the evidence submitted should absolve him of any wrongdoing and has called on the authorities to review the case accordingly.
“We respectfully request that your office consider this exculpatory evidence in determining whether to proceed with any charges against Mr Kibe. Our client is ready and willing to cooperate fully with any lawful investigative process,” the lawyers added.
Meanwhile, Daniel Brian Ouma, who was irregularly appointed as Acting Chief Operations Officer, faces separate charges of unlawfully acquiring public property — specifically KSh32,459,406.15 in salary payments from the University of Nairobi.
