The hearing of a case in which a Congolese businessman is accused of stealing heavy machinery worth Ksh21 million ($162,300) has stalled at an Eldoret court after the suspect jumped bail.

Scalla Nzanzi Junior failed to appear in court, and efforts by police officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at Eldoret Central Police Station to trace him proved futile.

Similarly, the suspect’s Nairobi-based lawyer, Eric Munene, who has represented him since his arrest and arraignment last month, also failed to appear in court to explain his client’s whereabouts. Junior, a father of four, had been ordered to deposit a cash bail of Ksh5 million ($38,640) or provide two Kenyan sureties with properties of similar value to secure his release.

Principal Magistrate Caroline Wattimah granted him bail after reviewing a pre-bail report indicating that he was not a flight risk, despite opposition from the prosecution.

“Having gone through the pre-bail report presented before me, I gathered that the accused has a family living in the country. I believe he will not run away from his children and escape to his home country if granted bail,” Wattimah rules.

During his plea, Junior maintained he was a law-abiding businessman with several ventures in Kenya and a family that had lived in the country for over a decade.

“Your honour, I am not a flight risk as claimed by the prosecution. My family lives in Nairobi and I have investments in Kenya,” he told the court.

He denied stealing a Hyundai excavator, registration number KHMA 223K, valued at Ksh21 million ($162,288) property of Chicarlt Company Limited, associated with Caleb Rotich, the younger brother of former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.

According to court documents, the offence occurred on April 2, 2024, at Kapsoya, on the outskirts of Eldoret City. The excavator had allegedly been leased to Junior for gold excavation work in the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo under a payment agreement.

The suspect was arrested last month by DCI officers in Malaba town on the Kenya-Uganda border as he allegedly attempted to flee the country after learning that police were pursuing him. Following his failure to appear for the hearing, Magistrate Wattimah issued summonses to two peasant farmers from Mt Kenya region who had stood surety for the businessman, directing them to appear in court and produce the suspect.

“I hereby issue summonses to the two individuals who stood surety for the accused and guaranteed his attendance at all court sessions,” ruled the Magistrate.

She also issued a warrant of arrest against Junior, directing the Officer Commanding Eldoret Central Police Station to execute it immediately.

“The accused person has violated his bail conditions by failing to appear in court for trial. A warrant of arrest is hereby issued against him with immediate effect,” she ordered.

The case will be mentioned on October 21, 2025, for further directions.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Ekuwam Sylvester