By Nelson Musungu, Bungoma
The hearing of a graft case involving former Nzoia Sugar Company Managing Director, Godfrey Sifuna Wanyonyi and seven other senior officials has been adjourned at the Bungoma anti-corruption court, with the prosecution expected to present its final witnesses when proceedings resume.
The case which has dragged on since 2017, revolves around the alleged embezzlement of Sh11 million from the struggling state-owned miller.
The former managing director (MD), Wanyonyi and his co-accused have been charged with several counts, including abuse of office, conspiracy to defraud and fraudulent acquisition of public funds.
Others charged alongside Wanyonyi are Benson Khwatenge Wafula (Company Secretary), John Wanyonyi Wekesa (Chief Cashier), Kenneth Onyango(Cashier), Benson Sitati Wakhungu (Internal Auditor), Robert Vincent Juma (Auditor), Kennedy Wafula Wanjala alias Mkombozi (Administrator) and Juliet Ng’ang’a (Clerk).
The accused are alleged to have conspired between 2015 and 2016 to defraud Nzoia Sugar Company of the said amount by authorizing irregular payments, falsifying financial records and misappropriating funds meant for operations.
The prosecution, led by officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has lined up its final two witnesses Abraham Kemboi an EACC investigator and Saul Wasilwa, who served as the company’s managing director before Wanyonyi took office.
Both are expected to shed light on the financial transactions and internal audit reports that allegedly exposed the fraud.
The matter was delayed for several months following numerous applications filed by some of the accused seeking to stop their prosecution.
The latest was by Benson Khwatenge Wafula, the former Company Secretary, who had moved to court arguing that his prosecution was malicious and an abuse of process.
However, the Supreme Court dismissed his petition upholding the decisions of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal that found his case without merit.
The ruling effectively cleared the way for the continuation of the trial, which had stalled pending determination of the constitutional petition.
The Nzoia Sugar case is one among several corruption cases that have dogged state-owned sugar companies in Western Kenya, where financial mismanagement, unpaid farmer dues and operational inefficiencies have led to massive losses and declining productivity.
Bungoma court Magistrate Josephat Gichimu on Wednesday set 11th February 2026 as a hearing date.
