The Kenya Ports Authority [KPA] General Manager Finance Patrick Nyoike is a victim of the succession battle at the helm of the state corporation, his lawyer Jared Magolo has said.

Magolo told Mombasa Chief Magistrate Edna Nyaloti in a case in which his client is facing a sh 214 million fraud charge.

He told the court during a bond application that the accused is a front runner in the race to succeed former embattled KPA Managing Director Daniel Manduku who resigned in a huff last month.

"The accused person is a victim of circumstances since he is one of the applicants to succeed Manduku," he pointed out.

His remarks emerged at the court after the accused was arrested and held at the central police station in Mombasa county on charges of economic sabotage and abuse of office.

The lawyer described KPA finance office as a home of malice with a hidden agenda, his client being a target.

Magolo told the court Nyoike’s critics have succeeded  to lock him out of the succession race which is underway.

https://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/1532-kpa-managers-want-arrested-colleague-transfered

He said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission [EACC] had given his client a clean bill of health on the charges he was now facing.
 .
"We wonder how a closed matter can resurface but let me assure the court the charges are minor and meant to block the accused person from the race to succeed Manduku," he pointed out.

The counsel expressed regret the accused is being targeted for being one of the front runners in the battle for the port's top post.

Magolo insisted his client is being targeted by the political class to stop him as he was perceived to be a threat to other applicants in the bid to succeed Manduku.

He said the move to block his client from the race was well calculated with the criminal charges before the court.

"Nyoike has been a threat since Manduku resigned at the port with the KPA board in the process of shortlisting candidates for interviews," he pointed out.

Nyoike and his colleague Isaac Obunga were released on a Sh2 Million cash bail each or a surety of 5million, The other accused person Jacinta Wanjiku Wambugu who is also Nyoike's wife could not make it to court today due to sickness and will appear on Tuesday.