KNBS boss arrested over graft

By Cyrus Ombati

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Director General Anthony Kilele was on Tuesday arrested by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers on graft allegations.

Kilele and his procurement manager Fred Ayiera and Samuel Ogot Baker were grilled for four hours at the Anti-Corruption Commission offices before being released on bond to appear in court on Thursday.

According to EACC spokesman Nicholas Simani, Kilele and Ayiera failed to comply with the law relating to procurement.

A charge sheet prepared for the two stated they failed to comply with the Public Procurement and Disposal Act by not using open tendering methods as stipulated in Section 29 (1) of the Act, 2005 in the procurement of storage space for census materials.

Kilele will face two additional counts of abuse of office contrary to Section 46 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 for using his office improperly confer a benefit of Sh5.9 million and Sh1.4 million to Baker by using a cheque and voucher respectively in favour of BM Logistics (EA) Company Limited.

BM is said to be a non-existing entity that purported to have provided warehouse services for census materials to KNBS, said Simani in a statement.