Thirteen senior Tana River County officials have been placed under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over a controversial Sh2 billion fencing contract in Garsen town.
Detectives have impounded the personal files of the officials working in the Public Works and Procurement departments and asked the county secretary to facilitate their appearance at EACC offices for interrogation.
The commission is investigating the alleged loss of money in the project that involved fencing of Kenya Wildlife Service facilities in Garsen.
There are claims that Sh2 billion was spent on non-existent projects.
Among those summoned to appear before EACC is a man and his wife, a former chief officer in the 2013-2017 county government, a director in the Roads Department and another who is in charge of procurement.
This morning
The Standard has seen a copy of the letter by EACC addressed to County Secretary Salim Bagana requiring the 13 to appear before investigators between this morning and Friday.
"We are investigating allegations of irregular procurement process of tender no/G30/2016-2017 for the construction of a complete KWS perimeter fence in Garsen in Tana River County. Kindly facilitate the investigation of the following and statement recording," read the letter that lists the suspected officials.
Mr Bagana confirmed on Sunday receiving the letter and promised to communicate the contents to the affected officials.
But we have established that some of those under investigation have since left the county administration because their contracts ended. Reports indicate that one of them is an MP from one of the coastal counties.
Contact officials
Bagana said he would contact the officials whose contracts had expired.
A police officer who asked not to be named said a top official among the 13 aroused the suspicion of detectives because he had millions of shillings in a bank in Hola town.
The county government claimed it had been asked to pay debts for projects that could not be verified.
Last month, Governor Dhadho Godhana threatened not to pay contractors until an independent audit determined how money was spent by the past county administration.
