Two sons of former Attorney General James Karugu have been arraigned in court over an alleged fraudulent transfer of company shares involving their sister.
Eric Karugu and Benjamin Karugu, alongside their co-accused Jane Wangechi, appeared before the Milimani Law Courts on Tuesday to face multiple charges linked to an alleged scheme to unlawfully transfer shares from a family-owned company.
The three denied charges of conspiracy to defraud, forgery, uttering false documents and providing misleading information to a public officer.
Following their plea, the court released each of the accused on a bond of Sh1.5 million with two sureties of a similar amount or, alternatively, a cash bail of Sh700,000. They were also ordered to surrender their passports to the court pending the hearing and determination of the case.
A defence application seeking to postpone the plea was rejected, with the magistrate directing that the matter proceed. The case is scheduled for a pretrial conference on January 20, 2026.
According to court documents, the accused are alleged to have conspired to defraud their sister, Victoria Nyambura Karugu, by unlawfully transferring one ordinary share in Mathara Holding Limited to Centurion Holding Limited. The alleged offence is said to have occurred on or about May 2, 2012, at an undisclosed location within Kenya.
Victoria Nyambura Karugu is listed as the complainant in the case.
Prosecutors claim the accused knowingly prepared and presented forged documents containing false information to facilitate the disputed share transfer. The state plans to call several witnesses, including the complainant, a document examiner, the investigating officer Peter Ouma and other witnesses yet to be disclosed.
The case follows earlier stalled proceedings after the accused failed to attend court despite being summoned by investigators. On December 9, the prosecution informed the court that the suspects had been properly served but failed to appear for plea taking.
Senior Principal Magistrate Dolphina Alego later issued court summons to compel their attendance, clarifying that the orders did not amount to arrest warrants.
During previous mentions, defence lawyers cited medical reasons for the absence of two accused persons, claiming one had Covid-19 and bronchitis while another was hospitalised with hypertension. However, prosecutors challenged the authenticity and adequacy of the medical documents and requested verification.
With all three suspects present in court on Tuesday, the magistrate declined any further delays and issued bond terms.
The complainant is represented by lawyer Philip Murgor. The matter will next be mentioned on January 20, 2026, for pretrial directions.
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