Devolution Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Korir faces life imprisonment if convicted of a charge of causing grievous bodily harm to his wife.

Korir had moved to the High Court to stop his prosecution, but Justice Anthony Mrima yesterday dismissed the petition on grounds the State was right in mounting prosecution against him with the offense of assault and injuring his estranged wife Evelyn Koech while she was pregnant.

Korir risks losing his plum job in line with Chapter 6 of the Constitution as well as the Leadership and Integrity Act which  states that “Any State officer automatically goes on suspension after taking a plea in a criminal case.” 

He had argued that the prosecution was being used to coerce him to settle a matrimonial property score. Judge Mrima has now set aside orders issued in February, that had temporarily shielded him from arrest and subsequent prosecution for the offense of causing grievous harm that attracts a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Evelyn has filed for divorce under application E015 of 2021 against Korir. The PS also faces a separate case in the children’s court, No: MCCC/E945 of 2020 where he is being asked to pay school fees and upkeep for his children.