This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, Magistrate Elizabeth Juma handed down a guilty verdict in the Ksh297 million maize scandal, sentencing John Waluke, the Srisia MP and close ally of Deputy President William Ruto, and co-accused Grace Sarapay Wakhungu to pay a fine of Ksh 594,175,000 or face a seven-year jail sentence.
Waluke and Wakhungu were found guilty of fraud and ordered to pay the same amount, which is double the amount lost by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in the case.
The conviction for Waluke was to be served to the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Public Service Commission (PSC), with the magistrate noting that if the fine is paid, NCPB will be compensated for the amount lost.
This development is a further blow to Deputy President William Ruto, whose allies have been on the receiving end of recent scandals.