Appear In Court In One Hour- Peter Munya Told

An Anti-Corruption Court sitting in Nairobi has ordered former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peter Munya to appear in court in one hour.

Munya was scheduled to appear to testify in the Ksh63 billion Arror and Kimwarer dams corruption case against former Treasury CS Henry Rotich.

Milimani Magistrate Eunice Nyutu made the directive after the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) failed to produce Munya in court under a warrant of arrest.

The court had issued a warrant of arrest against Munya for failing to appear and testify in the case.

"I order Munya to present himself in court by 11:15 a.m. His warrant of arrest still stands," Magistrate Nyutu ordered.

The court had initially given Munya 90 minutes to present himself in court to testify but he did not do so.

Police officers attached to the Nairobi Area have therefore launched a manhunt for Munya after he failed to show up for the court hearing.

While appearing before the anti-corruption court, the investigation officer Douglas Chege revealed that DCI officers were unable to execute the arrest on Munya as he was nowhere to be found.

Munya's lawyer however defended the former Cabinet Secretary, noting that he was not in hiding as had been portrayed by the State.

The Magistrate rejected an attempt by Munya's lawyer to hear his application explaining the reasons why the former CS did not appear in court on August 29, 2023, to testify leading to the arrest order being issued.

Nyutu further rejected an application by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to adjourn the matter until the newly appointed DPP Renson Ingonga is sworn in.

In March 2019, Munya told the police that a top Cabinet official had called him twice, pressuring him to approve the release of Ksh4 billion for the two dams.

He also claimed that a Principal Secretary also attempted to lure Munya into signing the documents, but he refused.

Munya told the police, in a statement, that he refused to sign because he was new to the ministry and he had noticed a lot of pressure from people he believed had vested interests.

Arror and Kimwarer dams were supposed to be completed in 2017, but their construction is yet to kick off after the tendering process was mered by alleged corrupt activities.