On Thursday, officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducted early morning raids on the homes and offices of senior County Government Officers as part of an investigation into a corruption scandal involving the procurement of road construction equipment valued at Sh 373 million.
The operation, which began at 4 a.m., specifically targeted County Executive Committee (CEC) members and Chief Officers (COs) and coincided with President William Ruto’s visit to the county.
Plainclothes officers arrived unexpectedly at the officials’ residences, confiscating documents before proceeding to the County headquarters to continue with their searches.
EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumba issued a statement confirming that the raids were conducted under court orders linked to allegations of conflict of interest and embezzlement of public funds amounting to Sh 1.2 billion through fraudulent payments to companies owned by the officials, their family members, and proxies.
The ongoing investigation also in
cludes allegations of abuse of office, unexplained wealth, and the misappropriation of Sh 373 million related to the procurement of 12 heavy road construction machines and trucks in the financial year 2022/2023, which remain unaccounted for.
‘Today’s operation has yielded evidentiary material to support the ongoing investigations. Meanwhile, the suspects arrested during the operation have been released after recording their statements at various EACC and government offices. Upon completion of the inquiry, appropriate actions will be taken, including prosecution and recovery of unexplained wealth or proceeds of corruption,’ said Fred Ngumba.
This scandal first emerged in August, prompting investigations after a whistleblower reported concerns to the commission.
EACC has since recorded statements from 13 officers regarding the procurement of road construction equipment, which includes five crawler excavators, five motor graders, and one drum roller.
The purchase of the equipment, valued at Sh 373 million, i
s currently under intense scrutiny.
The equipment worth sh373 million was purchased in a deal that has since come under intense scrutiny.
Source: Kenya News Agency