Ex-MP charged for awarding his hotel Ksh.51M tender freed on Ksh.500K cash bail

Former Mandera South MP Adan Haji Ali Sheikh has been charged with irregularly awarding a Ksh.51.5 million tender to a hotel which he was purportedly associated with.

The ex-MP faces accusations that while serving as the Kwale County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Tourism, he neglected to disclose his connections with Lofta Resort Limited.

The hotel had reportedly been prequalified and granted contracts to provide accommodation and conference services to the Kwale County government on various occasions from May 10, 2013, to May 2017.

Further investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Haji, his wife Fatuma Ibrahim Roba and son Alibashir Adankhalif were registered as directors of Lofta Resort Limited which received the said sum from Kwale County.

Appearing before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Alex Ithuku on Tuesday, the former MP, charged with conflict of interest contrary to section 42(3) as read with section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes act 2003, denied the charges.

"The former Mandera South legislator pleaded not guilty to the charge and was released on a bond of Ksh.2,000,000 with one surety of a similar amount in the alternative a cash bail of Ksh.500,000," the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said in a statement.

The case will be mentioned on February 27, 2024 for pre-trial.