Ex-Kemri boss Davy Koech fined Sh19m for fraud

Former Kemri boss Dr. Davy Koech on September 15, 2021, when he was found guilty of corruption. [Collins Kweyu,Standard]

Former Kemri boss Davy Koech has been found guilty of fraudulent acquisition of public property and fined Sh19.6 million.

The case was before Senior principal magistrate Victor Wakumile, who said if Koech is unable to pay, he will serve a six-year jail term.

Koech was accused of transferring Sh19.3 million from Kemri’s bank accounts to his personal accounts when he was MD.

The money was to finance his children’s education abroad.

The funds had been allocated to the Center for Disease Control, Kisumu

However, the office of the DPP has said it is dissatisfied with the sentence and will be seeking an enhancement of the same at the High Court.

Transfer of funds

On August 16, 2006, some Sh800,000 was transferred from the corporation’s account, another Sh6 million on December 5 and Sh12.5 million on December 13 of the same year.

Koech is said to have written to the Yaya branch manager instructing the bank to transfer the funds.

He asked the manager to treat the transaction as "an exceptional case", saying the chequebook was in Kisumu. He said he had contacted the co-signatories John Vulule and Dennis Ali and they would endorse the instructions.