Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers on Tuesday raided the Kisumu and Nairobi homes of assembly speaker Onyango Oloo.
The detectives are investigating the loss of millions of shillings during the construction of Lake Basin Development Authority mall in Kisumu. Oloo was the LBDA chair between 2014 and 2015.
The initial tender for the LBDA project was Sh2.5 billion, but by the time Oloo left the office, the authority had committed Sh3.8 billion, a variation of more than the 25 per cent permitted by the law.
The EACC is probing the cost variation in the project and the decision by the authority to use a government agency to secure a loan from the Cooperative Bank without the Attorney General's authorisation.
Oloo said that no money had been paid by the authority by the time he left the office. He said he did not know who authorised the payments.
The speaker maintained his innocence and welcomed the investigations. He said the culprits should be arrested and prosecuted.
He told journalists that the detectives visited his Milimani house around 6.30am with search warrants.
He commended the officers for conducting themselves professionally. From Milimani, the EACC team proceeded to his Mamboleo house and to his county assembly office.
The search was done concurrently in his Nairobi house. "I asked them (family members) to give the officers unlimited access so that they can get whatever they want,” Oloo said.
Regional EACC boss declined to comment but intimated that the agency's CEO will shed light on what is a nationwide crackdown.
The EACC is also investigating alleged corruption in Siaya county assembly projects. The projects include the construction of the assembly complex and the purchase and compensation of land where it is located.
The commission had in a May 21, 2019, letter seen by the Star asked the county assembly clerk to provide documents after complaints had been filed with the agency.
“For us to conduct an investigation to its logical conclusion, kindly but urgently provide all the original documents in relation to these projects,” reads part of the letter copied to the Siaya assembly speaker.
The commission also needs documents on the process of the purchase of land for the speaker’s residence, MCAs' trip to Uganda for training and the purchase of the county assembly mace.
Others include legal fees paid for interpretation of section 35 of the County Government Act.
The documents were to be made available on or before May 28.
The commission’s Western region boss Ignatius Wekesa on Monday confirmed to the Star that investigations are ongoing at the assembly.
(Edited by O. Owino)
