Ketraco manager probed over his 'sudden wealth'

EACC wants Njehia’s accounts at Stima Sacco Society Limited operated in his wife’s name frozen. [File, Standard]

Anti-graft agency is probing a senior manager at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) over allegations that he amassed great wealth through corruption.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) filed an application at the High Court seeking an order to freeze the accounts and properties of Ketraco supply chain manager Peter Maina Njehia and his wife Julie Hellen Matu over suspicion that they are proceeds of graft.

EACC, through lawyer Pius Nyoike, claims Njehia bought several parcels of land, apartments and high-end vehicles with money he made through corrupt deals at the electricity company.

“Our investigations have revealed that contractors and suppliers to Ketraco have been bribing senior officials, including Njehia, to facilitate payments and awarding of the contracts. We suspect that he used the money acquired through corruption to acquire the properties,” said Nyoike.

The commission claims that Njehia was employed as Ketraco’s senior manager in charge of supply chain management in December 2016 with a monthly salary of Sh326,745 but within five years, he had acquired properties that are not commensurate with his earnings.

The properties in question include 18 parcels of land in Nakuru and Kiambu counties, three apartment blocks in Nakuru and Nairobi, and nine vehicles.

EACC wants Njehia’s accounts at Stima Sacco Society Limited operated in his wife’s name frozen. The agency says Njehia has been using the Sacco, through his wife, as a conduit for illicit funds to avoid being caught.

In an affidavit, EACC investigator Shadrack Mwenda said they had been investigating allegations of bribery, conflict of interest, unexplained wealth and corrupt conduct by public officials at Ketraco when they discovered that Njehia was part of the scheme.

Mwenda alleged that Njehia was part of Ketraco cartels who have been demanding and receiving huge bribes from contractors.

“He used the illegally acquired funds to purchase shares at Stima Sacco in the name of Julie Hellen Matu. Investigations have revealed that purchase of the shares and deposits in the accounts were meant to conceal source and movement of the funds,” said Mwenda.

According to the investigator, internal investigations by Ketraco had indicted Njehia, who was accused of failing to appoint a tender committee, instructing Sh30 million payments to a contractor without authority and awarding some tenders without approval.

“The actions of Njehia and the circumstances under which some stated properties were acquired indicate that cash transactions were sent to the vendors immediately after executing the sale agreements, which raised suspicion to the source of his funds,” said Mwenda.

He added that when they conducted a search at Njehia’s house, they recovered Sh1.2 million in cash, which the manager and his wife failed to explain the source.

[e-mail]