Vincent Somba Ndeti, the brother of Wavinya Ndeti, has been arraigned before the Milimani Law Courts alongside his wife Hellen Mueni Ndeti over an alleged tax fraud scheme involving more than KSh 387 million.
The two were formally charged in court, with prosecutors outlining accusations linked to large-scale tax evasion and fraudulent financial dealings. Hellen Mueni Ndeti currently serves as a nominated Member of County Assembly (MCA) in Machakos County.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the charges stem from deliberate misstatements in income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) returns filed between 2019 and 2022.
Prosecutors told the court that the accused, acting as directors of Sollenti International Limited, allegedly orchestrated a scheme involving fictitious purchases and under-declaration of income in order to reduce their tax obligations.
In one instance, the court heard that the accused falsely claimed purchases worth KSh 3 million in their 2019 VAT returns, resulting in a tax reduction of nearly KSh 500,000.
Further, in their 2020 income tax filings, they allegedly under-declared income and inflated expenses by over KSh 220 million, leading to a tax loss exceeding KSh 55 million.
The prosecution added that the pattern continued into subsequent years. For the 2021 tax period, the accused are said to have claimed fictitious purchases exceeding KSh 345 million while under-declaring income by over KSh 52 million, reducing their tax liability by nearly KSh 120 million.
For VAT filings in 2021 and 2022, the court was told that the accused allegedly continued inflating purchases and suppressing income declarations, resulting in tens of millions of shillings in lost tax revenue.
In total, the State estimates that the scheme led to a cumulative tax loss of KSh 387,390,338.
The prosecution maintains that the accused knowingly submitted false tax returns, actions it says undermined the integrity of the tax system and deprived the government of critical revenue needed to fund public services.
Through their lawyer, the suspects assured the court that they would comply with all court requirements and would not abscond proceedings.
The court granted each accused a bond of KSh 3 million or an alternative cash bail of KSh 500,000.
The case forms part of ongoing enforcement efforts by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to crack down on tax evasion and enhance compliance, amid growing scrutiny of financial misconduct involving companies and politically connected individuals.
Cases of this nature have increasingly involved politically connected individuals and business figures, reflecting a broader crackdown on economic crimes that undermine public finances and governance.
The proceedings at the Milimani Law Courts are expected to continue as the court determines the next steps, including bond terms and hearing dates.
The case is likely to draw significant public and political attention, given the family link to Wavinya Ndeti, although the governor herself has not been implicated in the charges.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to ensuring accountability, emphasizing that all individuals—regardless of status—will be subject to the law as investigations and prosecutions proceed.
