JamboPay, a company owned by businessman Danson Muchemi and operating under Webtribe Ltd, has been awarded a contract for revenue collection services. However, a startling corruption scandal has surfaced in the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, revealing a scheme involving substantial daily bribes linked to Nairobi County’s revenue collection contracts.
Testimony from Chief Inspector Kiptoo Kisorio has brought to light allegations that Muchemi offered former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko between Sh4-5 million each day to secure this lucrative contract. This shocking information emerged during a court session presided over by Principal Magistrate Charles Ondieki, where Kisorio recounted a 2019 sting operation that captured incriminating audio evidence of the bribery attempt.
The events began on January 10, 2019, when Governor Sonko reported to the police at Mtwapa station that Muchemi was trying to bribe him to maintain JamboPay’s revenue collection contract. In response, the police equipped the governor with a Sony audio recorder to discreetly document the conversation, leading to the unfolding of this significant corruption case.
The meeting took place at Sonko’s Kanamai home in Kilifi County, with police officers remaining hidden while the governor recorded what would become crucial evidence in the corruption case.
Perhaps most explosive was Muchemi’s alleged claim that former Governor Evans Kidero had made a staggering Sh7 billion from a similar revenue collection deal during his tenure.
This revelation suggests a pattern of massive corruption stretching across multiple gubernatorial administrations.
The 57-minute audio recording, which the court is set to hear on Thursday, allegedly captures Muchemi promising Sonko the daily millions while boasting about the enormous profits his predecessor had allegedly extracted from similar arrangements.
The corruption web was first exposed by whistleblower Henry Shitanda, former president of Bunge la Wananchi, who testified that his grassroots movement received alarming reports from City Hall insiders about irregularities in the JamboPay contract.
“We have members embedded in various private and public institutions. In this particular matter, we received a complaint from members working within Nairobi County,” Shitanda revealed, explaining how he wrote to the Director of Public Prosecutions on December 14, 2018.
His letter, copied to multiple investigative agencies including the DCI and EACC, prompted the probe that would eventually lead to the current court proceedings.
The case centers on a Sh20 million corruption scandal involving the procurement of digital revenue collection services at Nairobi City Hall.
The charges against Sonko include 11 graft-related counts involving accusations of misappropriation, lack of transparency, and abuse of office.
JamboPay, owned by businessman Danson Muchemi and operating under Webtribe Ltd, had secured the contract for revenue collection services, but the circumstances surrounding the deal have raised serious questions about procurement integrity.
The court proceedings continue with the highly anticipated playing of the audio recording on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.
The recording is expected to provide crucial evidence in determining the extent of corruption surrounding the revenue collection tender.
“We believe the audio will reveal the extent of corruption surrounding the revenue collection tender,” Kisorio stated, highlighting the significance of the evidence.
This case represents more than just another corruption scandal – it exposes a potentially systemic problem in Kenya’s county revenue collection systems, where lucrative contracts may have been treated as personal ATMs by those in power.
The case continues with two former police bosses from Mtwapa expected to testify as the court seeks to unravel the full extent of this multi-million shilling corruption scandal.
