BY MANUEL ODENY

A high court has been told how an employee at National Oil Corporation of Kenya colluded with her husband to siphon off over Sh22milliom in fictitious tenders.

Detectives from the Investigations Bureau (IB) attached to the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum said the two alongside an accomplice fraudulently misappropriated Sh22,151,983.

The National Oil Corporation complained about theft and misappropriation of substantial funds which led to an investigation.

Gladys Kahaki Njubi, a former Assistant Accountant at the corporation, is accused of conspiring with her husband, Griffin Nyakang’o Omwenga, and a third accomplice, Nehemia Onyunge Kibegwa, in the scheme.

She later resigned from her position.

The scheme was carried out through five companies established by Griffin: Zoccom Enterprises Limited, Eceny Ventures Limited, Earthcare Supplier Services, Sparktec Ventures Limited, and Jaffer Petrofill Africa Limited.

Detectives said despite the companies never bidding for any services nor conducting any business with the corporation ended up receiving the amount for work which were never rendered.

“Gladys, in her role as the assistant payable accountant, was responsible for processing payments at the corporation,” detectives said on Facebook post.

To conceal the fraud the three tried to musk the five companies by using authentic documents from legitimate companies contracted by the corporation.

Nehemia Onyunge Kibegwa, the third suspect and director of Kensons Constructions Limited, also benefitted from this elaborate scheme.

He received millions of shillings despite having no prior bidding or engagement with the corporation, detectives added.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) charge the three with conspiracy to defraud, theft by servant, forgery, and possession of proceeds of crime, among other offences.

The three suspects were arrested on January 28, 2026, and detained at Akila Police Station.

Yesterday they appeared before the Kibera Law Courts, where they pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They were remanded pending a bond ruling scheduled for 4th February, 2026.