- National Nurses Association of Kenya Chairman Mr Collins Otieno Ajwang is embroiled in a civil court case
- He was sued for misappropriating the funds received from Burdett Trust for Nursing meant to uplift the wellbeing of nurses during and post Covid-19 Pandemic
- The court in Nairobi has issued permanent injunction order stopping him and other beneficiaries from utilizing the membership funds to refund the stolen cash
The High Court in Nairobi has put an injunction order restraining National Nurses Association of Kenya officials from using membership subscription money to refund part of the Ksh 11,500,938.81 million, her chairman Collins Ajwang misappropriated from a donor fund
In a court’s civil suit and orders seen on Saturday 9th July, the NNAK’s chairman Collins Otieno Ajwang’ together with his Vice Chair Ms Pauline Tabu Ngala, Denis Ngao Mbithi, Stephen Njoroge Ng’ang’a, Bernard Mwenga, Mercelina Wamuyu Ndegwa are also listed to be the individuals behind the con game with their chairperson
The monies, which was received from Grant Administrator (Burdett Trust for Nursing) on 26th November 2021 was to fund the project tagged Supporting Well-being and Resilience in the Nursing Workforce during and post Covid-19 Pandemic.
According to complainant through Ochieng’ Ogutu and Company Advocates is that the six officials held Annual General Meeting at Bandari College in Mombasa where new officials were elected and secretly changed the signatories of the account after assuming office on 10th December 2021
This, however, they did in contravention of the laws by removing the signatories of the project implementors Dr Miriam Wagoro and Dr Albanus Mutisya without their knowledge
“On or about 26th November 2021, the Grant Administrators informed Project Implementors that the 3rd and 4th quarter had been approved and disbursed to the Equity Bank Account, Ksh 5,759,324.37.
The implementors couldn’t gain access to the account as their names had been short-changed without their knowledge, the funds which was thereafter embezzled by the six officials,” part of the case read.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Grant Administrator wrote a letter to the association on 10th February requesting for a statement of the account status reports in regards to the project. However, this was not forthcoming.
A demand letter was thereafter placed on 28th February 2022, to the Chairman of the Association Mr Collins Otieno Ajwang’ to refund the money totalling to Ksh 5,750,109.45 million and agreed to repay in five months instalments.
“The Chairperson agreed to refund immediately Ksh 2,000,000 million after the confirmation of the settlement with the grant administrator and the balance to be refunded in four equal and quarterly instalments of three months after the receipt of the first instalment of Ksh 2M,” It read.
The complainant (George Otieno Ayot) believes that the monies were embezzled by the six officials referred to as the 1st to 6th defendant and that the grant did not serve it’s intended purpose (project) thereby opening a civil suit case.
Plaintiff told safinews.co.ke that the defendants (six officials) wants to utilize the member’s subscriptions funds to refund the embezzled funds which will be a breach of association’s constitution and amount to misuse of membership funds managed in the trust by the six.
He also seeks an order of permanent injunction be made, restraining the six, their servants or agents and any other official from the association or whosoever from using the membership funds of the 7th Defendant (National Nurses Association of Kenya) to refund any monies due to Burdett Trust for Nursing
However, the court files exonerates the six officials from the first and second disbursement of Ksh 5,759,324.37, which forms part of total Ksh 11.5 M that it was properly utilized to the intended tenets