Anti-graft detectives probe Obado’s Sh34m city house

Migori Governor Okoth Obado

The Anti-corruption court in Nairobi on Thursday barred Migori Governor Okoth Obado, his daughter and brother from disposing or dealing with a Sh34 million house in Loresho, Nairobi, for six months.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) claims the property might have been bought using graft proceeds.

Justice Mumbi Ngugi ordered Governor Obado, Everlyne Odhiambo and Peter Kwaga not to sell, transfer or deal with the property on LR NO 21080/38.

“An order is hereby granted in terms of Section 56 of the anti-corruption and economics crime preserving the property referred to as Loresho Ridge House No C1 LR No 21080/38 restraining the respondents, their agents, servants or any other person from selling, disposing of, wasting or in any other way dealing with the property aforesaid for a period of six months,” ruled Justice Ngugi.

In a case filed by lawyer Phillip Kaguchia, EACC accuses Obado of engaging in graft.

In court papers, the anti-graft body claims more than Sh2 billion was paid to companies owned by the governor’s family members, including his brothers Kwaga, Patroba Ochanda and Joram Opala, their mother Penina Auma Otago as well as Kwaga’s wife Christine Akinyi and sister-in-law Carolyne Onyango.

“In exercise of its mandate, (EACC) is investigating allegations that public officers in the County Government of Migori conspired with private contractors to engage in a fraudulent scheme to embezzle public funds through inflated or fictitious procurement contracts. Consequently, the said public officers, their associates and private contractors have accumulated illicit wealth to the detriment of the public,” EACC informed the court. According to EACC, Obado’s daughter Everlyne has been collecting rent from the contested house.

In her affidavit, EACC’s investigator Ann Murigih told the judge that the anti-graft body first sought to investigate the suspect’s accounts at the Co-operative Bank.

The EACC suspects that some Sh34 million drawn from Kwaga’s account bought the property.

“There are reasonable grounds to suspect that Loresho Ridge House No.C1 on L.R. No.21080/38 (Title Number I.R. 74363) was acquired by the first respondent (Kwaga) using proceeds of corruption in the form of fraudulent payments for contracts awarded irregularly without following procurement procedures,” Murigih claims in her supporting affidavit.