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A former Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) officer who was fired was on Wednesday arraigned before a Nakuru court and charged with dressing in military gear despite having been dismissed. 

Mr Peter Maina Gathuku who is alleged to have been spotted dressed in a jungle jacket, trouser, belt and a beret in Lanet area in May however denied the claims before Principal Magistrate Liz Gicheha and claimed that he was still a military officer attached at the Kahawa barracks. 

According to Mr Kangethe Ng'ang'a who works as a cashier at the military base in Kahawa, the accused was given marching orders in May but did not surrender his uniforms at the time he was leaving. 

Ng'ang'a further told the court that the accused was using the attire to harass locals and evade bills.

"I got a report from one 'Joe' who claimed that the accused refused to pay him his dues after fixing his electricity and he is the one who told me that the accused had military uniform," he said. 

However, Gathuku blamed Ng'ang'a for his woes, adding that he was the one who had engineered his dismissal and blocked his benefits.

"We agreed with this witness that once my retirement benefits were out I would give him about Sh50,000 but he has even blocked that possibility and I am yet to be cleared by various departments in the barracks, meaning I am still a soldier," he claimed. 

Ng'ang'a however told the court that the accused was dismissed without any benefits and was lying to the court. 

Gathuku was released on cash bail of Sh300,000 pending hearing of the case on January 21, 2016.