Court freezes assets of KNH CEO to allow probe

Kenyatta National Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Evanson Kamuri. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The High Court has frozen Sh48.5 million and six parcels of land belonging to embattled Kenyatta National Hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Evanson Kamuri for six months pending a probe over allegations of corruption by the EACC.

 Justice Esther Maina allowed EACC's request to freeze Kamuri's cash amounting to Sh 48.5 million held in seven bank accounts at HFC Bank, National Bank, and Standard Chartered Bank pending investigations over allegations of corruption and economic crimes involving Sh 634,465,000.

 The three accounts held at HFC Bank had Sh41 million in total.

One account had Sh10.5 million, the second had 18 million and the third one had Sh 12.5 million.

 Kamuri's two accounts at the National Bank of Kenya had Sh 1.2 million and 1.9 million while the one domiciled at Standard Chartered Bank had 4 million.

 The Judge further issued an order barring the KNH boss or his agents from interfering in any way by selling, leasing, and disposing of the six parcels located in Kirinyaga, Kajiado, and Nairobi which are alleged to have been corruptly acquired through proceeds of crime from the hospital.

 " I am satisfied that there reasonable grounds tendered by the EACC investigator Shadrack Mwendwa to warrant this court to grant the preservation orders sought. The order shall be in for a period of six months. the same shall be served upon Kamuri within 14 days," Justice Maina ordered.

 The Anti-graft body sought the orders arguing that preliminary investigations had established that Kamuri has accumulated wealth that is not commensurate with his known legitimate source.

 "There exists significant disproportion between his assets and or wealth and his legitimate source of income to a tune of Sh 800 million," EACC lawyer Olga Ochola told the court.

 When seeking the freezing orders, the commission stated that KNH CEO has been involved in corruption and or economic crimes and there was need to avert the dissipation of the funds believed to be public resources.

 The Commission is investigating allegations that Kamuri has engaged in abuse of office, conflict of interest and irregular awarding of tenders worth Ksh 634,465,000 to companies associated with him.

 " Preliminary investigations have revealed that Kamuri, in his capacity as the CEO of KNH engaged in abuse of office, conflict of interest and procurement irregularities in the award of tender for supply and installation testing and commissioning of medical oxygen generating plant and a second tender for Support of Enterprise Resources Planning System and support hardware and software components at the hospital to Biomax Africa limited," reads the court papers.

 The EACC says that KNH CEO case is part of wider investigations targeting various state corporations where some public officials are embezzling public funds thereby compromising delivery of essential services to the citizenry.