A Chinese national and a Kenyan were on Tuesday ordered to execute a Sh1 million bond and surety of the same amount for engaging in illegal tea processing at a construction site in Kiawara, Kieni in Nyeri County.
He Zhifhang and Mary Wanjiku were facing charges of processing tea leaves without permission from the Kenya Tea Board and failing to produce a single business permit as per the requirement by the County Government of Nyeri to operate such a business.
Despite them denying charges, Chinese national also faced a separate charge of operating a business in the country without valid work permit from the Immigration Department.
The Anti-Corruption Court Chief Magistrate Wendy Kagendo also ordered the Chinese national to deposit his passport with the court and not to leave the court’s jurisdiction until the case is heard and determined.
The magistrate also ruled that the case will proceed on Thursday this week after the prosecution requested for more time to bring in court an amended charge sheet against the two.
The lawyer appearing for the two accused persons Charles Kingori had in a request for leniency asked the court to free the two on bond.
He had argued that the Chinese national is undertaking construction work of Kiawara-Kimunyuru-Bellevue Road in Kieni constituency which deserves to be undertaken to completion as is a public project while the other is a single mother of two kids she must take care of.