State officer in Garissa to face relief food theft charges

Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has given the green light for the prosecution of a former State official over misappropriation of relief food for hunger stricken families in Garissa County.

Mr Tobiko (below) wants former Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Dominic Kyenza charged for the offence.

Mr Kyenza is likely to face theft charges in Garissa law courts alongside Clerk Abdullahi S Ahmed.

In a letter signed by the DPP and seen by The Standard, Tobiko said:

“Having perused the inquiry file and considered therein I am satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to sustain the charges.”

When the allegations of stealing relief food came up in the media last year, local leaders and civil society called on the Government to investigate the conduct of those involved saying it was totally unethical to steal from the poor and vulnerable members of society.

Speaking at his office in Garissa, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Deputy Director for North Eastern Abraham Kemboi said his office has a water tight case to prosecute Kyenza and Mr Ahmed for the diversion of food meant for hunger stricken families.

Mr Kemboi said forensic investigations had shown that Kyenza was fronting fictitious names as beneficiaries of relief food in the poverty stricken Garissa.

NEW SACKS

The EACC boss said two of those named by Kyenza as beneficiaries have denied having anything to do with relief food.

Kemboi noted that the EACC office in Garissa could not trace the rice that had allegedly been misappropriated by the former deputy county commissioner since the confiscated suspected relief food was repackaged in new sacks to conceal evidence.

He however, said forensic investigation had shown the food was stolen from the local Government cereal store.

“This prompted us to do a forensic investigation from Nairobi on how the food was transported and given to fictitious and non- existent individual beneficiaries and companies,” said Kemboi.