The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating loss of relief food for starving residents of Ijara subcounty, Garissa county.
The food, which included more than 1,000 sacks of rice, beans and dozens of litres of cooking oil, was allocated to the subcounty in December last year. It disappeared after it was released from stores in Garissa town.
The EACC is also investigating diversion of another 300 bags of beans and many sacks of rice, which was the allocation for January.
Northeastern regional head of EACC Japhet Baithalu told the Star yesterday they are probing some senior regional administrators.
He said preliminary investigations indicate the massive theft could have been masterminded by people assigned to distribute the food.
Baithalu did not give more details of the investigations, saying this would jeopardise the exercise.
He said the commission is in its final stages of investigations and soon the file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Officials in Ijara told the Star a senior administrator created a nonexistent ‘help fund’ for vulnerable people, including the elderly and the physically challenged.
Supkem 'shocked'
Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims Ijara branch chairman Abdikadir Sheikh Hassan, a member of the district steering committee which is responsible for distribution of relief food, said they are shocked that administrators have diverted food meant for drought victims.
He urged the government to ensure the culprits are brought to book, saying it is unfortunate that the national government representatives on the ground have misused their privilege. Hassan said they should pay for their mistakes.
“We demand arrest of the people involved in this scam because it doesn’t make sense when the government tries hard to reduce the effects of drought but people on the ground make it a habit to plunder resources,” he said.
During his visit to Garissa last month, President Uhuru Kenyatta warned administrators who oversee the distribution of relief food against misappropriation. He said tough action will be taken against those culpable.