Written by Were Kelly
Nairobi, Kenya – Former Lands Minister Amos Kimunya has been ordered to take the stand on September 15, 2025, to defend himself against corruption charges related to the alleged irregular transfer of public land worth KSh 60 million in Nyandarua County.
The directive was issued by Anti-Corruption Chief Magistrate Harrison Baraza, following the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of Kimunya’s bid to overturn a prior High Court ruling which found that he had a case to answer.
Appellate Justices Patrick Kiage, Agnes Murgor (Ali-Aroni), and Lydia Achode ruled unanimously that the trial must proceed, emphasizing that the prosecution had presented a prima facie case.
“We find the appellants’ appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. The appellants are ordered to defend themselves in the case,” read the ruling delivered by Justice Kiage.
The charges date back to 2005, during Kimunya’s tenure as Lands Minister. He is accused of overseeing the allocation of 25 acres of public land, originally part of a 75-acre parcel reserved for the Njabini Agricultural Training Centre, to Midlands Limited, a private firm linked to his co-accused.
Kimunya is charged alongside Lilian Wangiri Njenga and Junghae Wainaina, a director at Midlands Ltd.
The three face five corruption-related charges, including abuse of office, failure to comply with procurement laws, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
The case has traversed a long judicial path. In May 2020, the trio was acquitted by then Anti-Corruption Magistrate Felix Kombo, who ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish culpability.
However, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appealed the decision.
The appeal bore fruit in 2023, when High Court Judge Esther Maina reversed the acquittal, finding the prosecution had established a sufficient case warranting the accused to be put on their defence.
While she dismissed one defective charge, she ordered the trial to proceed on the remaining counts.
Unwilling to concede, the defence moved to the Court of Appeal, which has now upheld the High Court’s decision.With the appellate court’s judgment clearing the way, the case returns to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court, where Kimunya and his co-accused are expected to begin presenting their defence from mid-September.
