A 35-year old man was on Wednesday arraigned before Kibera Law Courts for allegedly extorting Sh240 million from Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa.
While appearing before Senior Principal Magistrate Ann Mwangi, William Simiyu Matere, alias Elijah was charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony contrary to section 393 of penal code and demanding property with menaces contrary to section 302 of the penal code.
According to the court file E731/24 seen by Kenya Insights, the accused alongside others not before the court, had put up an elaborate extortion scheme on diverse dates between December 2023 and 18th March when he was arrested and the plan cut short.
According to reports, the governor had sorted out spiritual interventions from a man posing as a witchdoctor to help him win the gubernatorial election, he was supposedly taken through rituals that included him getting naked, unknown to him the entire process was being recorded on a secret camera. It is this footage that was allegedly used to blackmail him.
A CCTV footage screen grab seen by Kenya Insights shows the witch doctor and a naked man who appears to be the governor, showed this happened in October 05, 2021 during the heights of 2022 general elections campaigning season.
According to the prosecution, the governor was constantly threatened by the man and group for months. Other reports indicate that he had already caved in and paid them Sh100 million.
The governor has been listed as one of the witnesses along three others.
He was released on a bond of Sh2 million with a surety of the same amount. The case will be mentioned on March 28.
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