This archive report was first published on 28 August 2019.
On August 28, 2019, businessman Samuel Mburu, a close associate of Deputy President William Ruto, was arrested and charged with tax evasion, office abuse, and other offenses.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Noordin Haji, alleged that Mburu failed to pay the government Ksh. 64.9 million in revenue, which he claimed was due to tax evasion.
According to the DPP, Mburu was also accused of concealing import goods and breaching trust, as well as willfully disobeying authorities.
Other individuals linked to the tax evasion saga include Charles Ongwae, the former managing director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), and officials from Customs, KEBS, and Landmark Freight Services Limited.
The DPP stated that the individuals, with the help of clearing and forwarding agents, concealed import goods with the aim of evading taxes.
Specifically, the DPP alleged that two companies, Gendilipe Enterprises and Rupai Trading Limited, imported goods from Dubai that were cleared as machinery but later found to be cooking oil.
