Former Nominated Senator Joy Gwendo Handed Two-Year Jail Sentence in Fraud Case

The court has handed a two-year jail sentence to former nominated Senator Joy Gwendo after she was convicted of fraud and abuse of office.

In August, Gwendo pleaded guilty to stealing Sh1.7 million from a Kisumu Savings and Credit Cooperative society as well as issuing two bad cheques worth Sh300,000 and Sh950,000.

“On the 23rd day of October 2016 at Chiga Parish in Kisumu East within Kisumu County used her position as a State officer to confer herself Sh2,226,800 the property of Kisumu East Cotton Growers Cooperative Society through Kivali Development Initiative,” the charge sheet reads.

However, Ms Gwendo entered into a plea bargaining agreement with the prosecution to pay the amount she stole from the Sacco in four installments, a promise she has since failed to fulfill.

In his ruling on Friday, Nairobi Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti said that Ms Gwendo hoodwinked the court by failing to honor the agreement. The judge has handed her a two-year jail sentence and denied the right of appeal.

“..it is noteworthy that she executed a plea bargaining agreement yet she was sure that she could not honour the same. She was hoodwinking the court and therefore lied to the court,” the judge rules.