Former Jubilee Nominated Senator Joy Adhiambo Gwendo has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing sh. 1. 7 million from a co-operative society in Kisumu.
This is an all time low for the once powerful politician who brushed shoulders with the high and mighty in the corridors of power.
Sentencing the former legislator, Chief Magistrate Douglas Ogoti said she was a dishonest person, especially after failing to honour a plea bargain requiring her to return the money as part of settling the case.
In the plea bargain, the prosecution had agreed to withdraw two counts of forgery and stealing and the former lawmaker had agreed to return the money in four instalments of Sh432,930.
But this is not the first time that Gwendo has been in the limelight for the wrong reasons. The politician has over the years made a name from humiliating fellow women.
In 2015, she refused to pay for catering services that had been provided at her home. A woman who identified herself as Redempter Mwikali reported the matter at Langata Police Station after being thrown out by Gwendo without pay.
A city businesswomen woman claims a senator has refused to pay for services she rendered to her.
“I was hired to provide outside catering at a party at her premises on New Year’s day. I have previously catered for the senator twice, and this was the third time she was engaging me. Things however started going wrong when the company I sub-contracted to supply tents failed to deliver at 9am as agreed. The set up was done at noon and food was served at 2pm which, in my opinion, was the agreed upon time. By 9pm, we were ready to close shop,” said Mwikali.
But Mwikali says when she asked Gwendo for her pay, a bitter exchange ensued, with the senator ordering her not to talk back at her. “Things got heated up and she ordered me out of her house,” claims Mwikali.
In another incident in 2016, a video emerged online of Gwendo beating her secretary with a shoe because she suspected she was a mole. She even had the guts to tell the secretary to go to the media.
Gwendo has also publicly admitted to having an affair with Thomas Mbewa, a married man without any remorse on the other woman.