Court clears EACC to seize assets worth Sh90m from former Machakos CEC

Former Machakos CEC Urbanus Wambua Musyoka.

High Court has directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to seize assets worth over Sh91 million, belonging to a former Machakos County Executive Committee (CEC) member.

This was after the court sitting in Milimani, Nairobi, found that Urbanus Wambua Musyoka unlawfully acquired the said property.

Musyoka had worked as a CEC Member of Machakos County from 2014, until July 2021 when he left.

In his ruling, Justice P.J. Otieno directed the anti-graft body to recover all the assets that were unlawfully acquired by Musyoka during his tenure at the helm of the county.

Justice Otieno found that the assets in question were acquired through corruption, conflict of interest, and fraudulent dealings.

The assets in question are a residential Building valued at Sh80 million and Sh10 million transacted through Musyoka’s bank accounts in Co-operative and Equity Banks.

A residential Building valued at Sh80 billion.

The court also established that Musyoka had benefited from fraudulent tenders awarded to companies owned by his wife Fiona Muthoki Mutisya, brother Antony Mbindyo Musyoka and other close allies.

According to EACC, the companies were also evading taxes worth Sh181 million.

On October 14, 2021, the Commission asked Musyoka to explain the amounts received and transacted in his accounts, by the companies associated with him, and the construction cost of the development of the residential building.

On November 2, 2021,      Musyola issued his response to EACC.

However, the commission says the team discovered that Musyoka had unexplained wealth liable to forfeiture to the State being proceeds of corruption.

The commission filed two cases against Musyoka.

The second case is still pending before the High Court.