Five people, employees of Machakos County Government, have been released on Sh100,000 bond each after they pleaded not guilty to alleged theft of drugs at a public facility.
Mathenge Ndungi, Pauline Kiura, Benson Kairo, Antony Muviku, and John Mutisya were arraigned in Kithimani Law Courts in Yatta, Machakos County, on Wednesday.
The suspects, all of whom appeared before Principal Magistrate Paul Wechuli pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them and were released on Sh100, 000 bond or alternative Sh50, 000 cash and a surety of a similar amount.
Ndungi is a clinical officer, Kiura serves the county government as a nurse, Chuma is a watchman, and Mutisya is a cleaner.
The five jointly faced a charge of stealing by a servant, contrary to Section 281 of the penal code.
The particulars of the case, according to the prosecution, were that Mathenge Ndungi, Benson Chuma Kairo, Antony Mutinda Muviku and John Wambua Mutisya, on the 7th day of August 2024 at Itunduimuni health facility, Masinga location in Masinga subcounty within Machakos, took assorted medicines valued at Sh30, 745 as per Kemsa price, property of the County Government of Machakos that got to their possession by virtue of their employment.
They were arrested on August 10 and held in custody until August 21, when they were charged at Kithimani Law Courts.
Ndungi and Kiura faced a separate charge at the same court.
The particulars of the charge were that on the 27th day of April 2024, at Kaewa health facility in Kaewa location, Masinga subcounty within Machakos County, the duo, jointly with another not before court, being servants of the County Government of Machakos, took assorted medicines valued at Sh14,676 as per Kemsa price, property of the county government of Machakos that got to their possession by virtue of their employment.
Ndungi separately faced a third charge of keeping in a building public stores contrary to Section 324 (2) (1) with Section 36 of the penal code.
On the 11th day of August 2024 at Kathiani market in Kathiani sub-county within Machakos County, he was keeping in a building that is a rented house, public stores that were reasonably suspected of having been stolen or unlawfully acquired.
The suspects denied the charges.
Mention has been slated for September 4, while the hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2024.