City attorney Stephen Juma Ndeda is facing multiple serious criminal charges, including money laundering, forgery, and uttering forged documents.
He recently appeared before Senior Principal Magistrate Boaz Ombewa at the Kahawa Law Courts, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges leveled against him.
The charges stem from a series of transactions and alleged fraudulent activities that took place in June 2023.
One of the key accusations against Ndeda involves an incident on June 20, 2023, at UBA Kenya Bank’s Upper Hill branch in Nairobi. According to the prosecution, Ndeda received USD 52,490 (approximately KSh 6.8 million) from a company based in Bulgaria, Algans Eood, through an account registered under his law firm, Ndeda & Company Advocates.
The prosecution claims that Ndeda intended to conceal the origin of the funds, which they argue were the proceeds of crime. These funds were purportedly involved in a suspicious transaction that raised red flags regarding money laundering activities.
The prosecution further alleges that Ndeda knowingly presented a forged sale agreement on June 20, 2023, to one Calvins Gwaro Nyamwange.
The sale agreement, concerning Land Parcel Number KJD/KEEKONYOKIE/ILKISUMET/3371, was falsely presented as legitimate and signed by one Andrew Immanuel Simuyu, who was listed as the vendor. This action was allegedly undertaken with the intent to defraud.
Additionally, on or around June 14, 2023, Ndeda is accused of forging another sale agreement at his office in View Park Towers, Nairobi.
This forged document was also related to Land Parcel Number KJD/KEEKONYOKIE/ILKISUMET/3371 and involved a transaction between Simuyu and a company named Alguns Limited, purporting to sell the property for KSh 60 million, with KSh 5 million to be paid as an initial deposit.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has indicated that the funds in question were wired to Ndeda’s account by a different entity, Algans Eood, based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Algans Eood is reportedly involved in arms trading, which led authorities to suspect an international syndicate possibly linked to money laundering and arms smuggling.
The bank flagged the transaction, and the funds were subsequently reversed due to non-compliance with anti-money laundering regulations.
Ndeda has been released on a bond of KSh 1 million or a cash bail of KSh 200,000 as he awaits the hearing and determination of his case.