Seven governors on EACC radar

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is tightening the noose around seven governors, with a high profile county chief from Mt Kenya likely to be arrested next week.

EACC Chief Twalib Mbarak is revitalizing Integrity Centre. Specially trained anti-fraud detectives have been deployed to sniff sleaze in the devolved units.

"This team is working with various informers in the counties and are scrutinizing every tender and checking if there was value for money in past contracts. They are also helping profile those used as a conduit to loot and hide money stolen from county coffers," an EACC source told the Star.

Counties are seen as the new bastions of graft in Kenya. The Star has established that an outspoken governor from Central Kenya could be arrested as early as next week.

The man has been on a property acquisition spree and is said to have become an overnight multi-millionaire, which does not tally with his income for the duration he has been in office

Sources said detectives have covertly looked at how money has been moving in and out of his account and believe he has a case to answer.

“In two of the cases, we are as good as done as their files are ready. We are doing final touches before we can pounce on them to answer to corruption charges,” a source familiar with investigation told the Star.

Of the seven governors, two are from Mot Kenya, another two from Luo Nyanza while the remaining three are from Coast, South Rift and North Eastern.

“In the past, we have had our efforts mainly focused on looting in the national government and parastatals. However, we are also putting special emphasis on plundering in the counties,” an EACC insider who declined to be named said.

Those targeted in the new wave of the crackdown also include county staff, spouses of the county executive, governors' close associates and key contractors.

In one of the counties, investigators say the governor has used one of his spouses as a conduit to receive money from the county as well used her to demand kickbacks from contractors.

Some MPs from Kiambu county yesterday invited the EACC to probe what they termed as massive looting of public funds.

Speaking at Ndumberi Primary School in Kiambu on Thursday, Kiambu MP Jude Njomo claimed the county government had misused Sh200 million from the World Bank meant for development.

“The President negotiated money with the World Bank for Kiambu county development but right now we cannot see any development. We want the county government to tell us what happened to Sh200 million from World Bank meant for development,” Njomo said.

In Migori, county secretary Christopher Odhiambo Rusana will remain in custody until Monday next week.

He is facing abuse of office charges and was nabbed by EACC for irregular employment, work meant for the public service board.

Last week, the EACC arrested former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and eleven others over Sh68 million alleged fraud.

Samburu Governor Moses Kasaine Lenolkulal was early last month arrested over alleged Sh84 million fraud in his county.

His case is still in court.

Governor Sospeter Ojaamong and nine officials of Busia county were arrested in July 2018.

They are facing a Sh20 million case in an integrated solid waste management services project from a private firm.

Some Kilifi and Migori county officials were arrested mid-month and are facing varied charges ranging from abuse of office, money laundering to corruption.

 EACC sources said insurance contracts, services like fumigation, consultancy and infrastructure contracts were susceptible to corruption in the counties.

“Exaggerated quotations, illegal per diems, incomplete or substandard projects, expenditure on unbudgeted projects are other techniques used to fleece counties," the source said.

Others are coming up with fictitious projects in which they prepare corresponding paperwork and pay to ghost contractors.

“These ghost contractors are normally close family members or cronies used to syphon county money and the trend runs across many counties we targeting,” the source said.

The new purge also targets counties that practice nepotism and tribalism in  employment where officials with no qualification or regulatory clearance have been hired.

"Others have fake academic qualifications but are hired and given posts they have no skills in because they are relatives of the governors. This is  abuse of office and contrary to constitutional dictates," the source said.