Three senior Kitui county officers were arrested on Thursday as investigations on the 2016 irregular procurement of Sh1.1 billion road construction services continue.
Acting Lands and Infrastructure chief officer Jeremiah Kisilu, former acting Treasury chief officer June Munyao and senior procurement officer Makau Sande were taken away by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers from Machakos.
County secretary Joshua Chepchieng said the three were taken away in connection with a matter that arose in 2015/2016 financial year during the administration of Governor Julius Malombe.
“EACC recorded some statements with our officers in 2015/2016 financial year and today they came to countercheck the statement. They have asked our officers to go with them to countercheck statements,” Chepchieng said.
He insisted the trio was not arrested but that accompanied the EACC sleuths to verify statements as the case is still under investigation.
Two other senior officers are on the run after the Director of Public Prosecutions last week ordered their prosecution over procurement malpractices.
The Star learned that EACC officers spent last weekend tracing county chief procurement officer Joshua Munyaka and former acting chief officer for Trade Francis Kea.
Kea is a director in the Department of Trade and Cooperatives. Their prosecution is in connection with the alleged irregular purchase of five trucks for livestock transportation.
The DPP on December 11, 2019, told the EACC that there was evidence of criminal culpability against Kea and Munyaka and they should be prosecuted.
Deputy DPP Emily Kamau said in a letter copied to Kitui principal prosecution counsel Bonny Okemwa that there was adequate evidence against them. Okemwa approved the charges on Thursday last week.
