There was drama at an Eldoret court when the hearing of a case involving two former employees of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), accused of stealing fuel worth over KSh210 million, was abruptly halted mid-proceedings.
The matter, presided over by Magistrate Daniel Sitati, was adjourned after defence lawyer George Sonkule raised concerns over failure by investigators to supply key documents relied upon by the prosecution.
“Your honour, I would like to bring to your attention that I have not been supplied with copies of the documents which the company’s internal auditor is relying on in his evidence in chief against my clients,” Sonkule submitted.
The lawyer asked the court to postpone the hearing until the defence is furnished with all relevant material linking his clients to the alleged fuel theft.
The incident occurred shortly after prosecution witness Jonah Tolla took the stand, presenting documents implicating the accused in the multi-million-shilling scandal.
The two accused, Wallace Mwangi and Peter Aomodo, are charged with stealing over 1.1 million litres of diesel valued at KSh210 million between October 1, 2021 and December 30, 2023 at the KPLC Kakuma Off-Grid Station.
They are alleged to have committed the offence alongside others not before the court and have denied the charges.
Court documents show the fuel was meant for off-grid power stations supplying electricity in remote areas not connected to the national grid.
Earlier, Tolla testified that the utility operates 30 thermal stations powered by diesel generators supplied by Rubis Energy Kenya PLC.
He said Rubis subcontracted Barsalinga transporters to deliver fuel to stations in areas including Lodwar, Kakuma, Lokichoggio, Lokori, Lokitaung and Lokiriama.
Investigations reportedly established that fuel losses occurred through collusion between tanker drivers and some employees stationed at the facilities.
“The tanker drivers would underdeliver fuel at designated stations and divert the remaining quantities to private buyers on their return journey to Nairobi,” Tolla told the court.
The case has been scheduled for mention on June 8, 2026, to confirm whether the defence has been supplied with all prosecution documents.
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