EACC to grill county officials over Sh400 million graft

EACC South Rift Regional Manager Ignatius Wekesa . [File, Standard]

Officials from three counties in the South Rift region are expected to appear before the regional Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission (EACC) Monday over alleged embezzlement of more than Sh400 million public funds.

EACC South Rift Regional Manager Ignatius Wekesa said the officials from Nakuru and Bomet counties will be grilled over various contracts initiated by their respective counties in which the public may have lost funds.

Wekesa said the grilling of the officials will begin from September 2 to September 13.

Summons to 14 officials at Nakuru county government were issued on August 23 to answer questions over the Sh27 million Sports Equipment procurement irregularities, during Financial Year 2023/2024.

In the letter from Wekesa to Nakuru County Secretary, the officials linked to the irregularities are expected to appear from September 2 to September 6. “To assist the commission with investigations, kindly inform the following 14 officers to appear before EACC for interview and statement recording,” reads the letter in part.

Officials expected to record statements are from tender committees and companies involved in the alleged irregularities.

Preliminary investigations show that senior Nakuru county officials allegedly hatched a fraudulent scheme which led to purchase of poor-quality sports equipment at exaggerated costs.

The purchase and tenders were allegedly allocated to companies owned by the officials, their family members or proxies.

On August 1, the commission requested for 26 documents to facilitate investigations, including original documents of Approved Budget and Approved Procurement Plans for the Financial Year 2023/2024.

EACC also requested for procurement requisition, approved memo-seeking approval advertisement, advertisement notice, standard tender and original tender submitted by bidders among others.

The commission has also summoned 13 officials from Bomet county, over allegations of theft of public funds and procurement fraud amounting to Sh373 million.

The money was used to purchase of heavy road construction equipment and trucks in the county.

In a letter dated August 30, Wekesa has summoned Bomet’s Procurement officer, Mechanical Engineer, supply chain management officer, the accountant, among others.

“All the employees are required to come with their original Identity Cards and certified copies of employment letters,” reads the letter.

The officials will be interrogated from September 9 to September 13.

Wekesa, in a letter dated July 30, requested Bomet County Secretary to furnish the commission with 26 documents to facilitate the investigations.

“Kindly furnish the commission with Approved Budget for financial Year 2022/2023, Approved Procurement Plan, Procurement Requisition and Approved memo-seeking approval Advertisement,” read the letter.

Other documents include standard tender documents, original tender documents submitted by tenderers, appointment letters for tender, tender opening register and tender opening minutes.

The commission says investigations will target county officials and private entities alleged to have conspired in the fraud.

Wekesa noted that one group of officers will be interrogated first while another group will be interrogated later.

Others expected to appear before EACC are top officials of Baringo County Assembly.

EACC will grill the officials over allegations of embezzlement of public funds through illegal payment of allowances.

EACC said that MCAs irregularly created at least six additional County Assembly Committees and used them to allegedly misuse public funds.

The committees include Disaster Management, Catering, Medical Service, Public Health, Lands and Housing and Urban Development.

In a letter seen by The Standard, each of the committees had from seven to 10 MCAs as members, including the chair and the vice chair.

The commission said it was committed to recover all funds embezzled in the three counties as the probe continues.

[e-mail]