• DCI boss George Kinoti said that he already has a list of individuals waiting for the arrest once the investigations which are in various stages of prosecution are completed
• Kinoti says that the sustained war against graft and its successes has been fully backed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Image: MERCY MUMO
Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti is probing cases that have led to the loss of Sh30 billion of public funds in government institutions and ministries.
In a magazine launched on Friday, Kinoti says that he is determined to bring to book the culprits who have squandered money through scams and corrupt deals.
The key departments that the DCI boss is focusing on are the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, National Youth Service (NYS), Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB), NHIF and the Ministry of Lands.
Kinoti says that the sustained war on graft and its successes has been fully backed by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has been at the forefront in ensuring beneficiaries of graft spoils face the law.
The DCI boss said that he already has a list of individuals on the arrest list once investigations are completed.
“And since the anti-graft war is rather like a long race, as opposed to a sprint, the DCI has a list of suspects arrested and facing court cases in relation to the graft,” Kinoti said.
Kinoti said that NCPB was embroiled in scandals worth Sh1.9 billion, Kenya Power Sh470 million, KPC Sh2 billion, and NYS Sh10.5 billion.
Out of Sh30 billion, Kinoti said that at least Sh21 billion is the subject of investigation in a dam scandal that has made previous scams look like a ‘Sunday school session’.
DCI has also questioned two CSs and directors of about 107 outfits over the multi-billion-shilling scam involving the construction of two dams.
Kinoti said that the tendering processes have been unearthed as the grey areas exploited to rip off the public purse.
“The actual cost of construction of Arror and Kamwarer dams in Elgeyo Marakwet County emerged as a tunnel that may have been exploited by unscrupulous individuals to line private pockets. Initially, Sh21 billion was meant to be the cost of the project, and the first tranche, a large amount, was already paid,” Kinoti said.
The DCI boss said NCPB has also had its day in the list of ignominy, that two years ago, top officials and their cohorts imported maize from Uganda and Tanzania.
“They were charged, with 16 others, of fraud involving Sh468 million through irregular purchase and supply of white maize to NCPB in Nairobi and Uasin Gishu counties.”
The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (Ketraco), which is under the Ministry of Energy was also on the DCI’s crosshairs.
It is reported that internal auditors said the amount of money lost was in excess of Sh6.3 billion. Auditors also cited variations of contracts whose costs had exceeded the 20 per cent variation limit set by procurement laws.
One project was varied by up to 86 per cent, creating extra charges of Sh430 million.
At Kenya Power, almost the entire management was also arrested and suspended over graft claims. The final straw was the procurement of defective transformers and irregularities in pre-qualifying 525 companies involved in labour and transport contracts. At stake was more than Sh4.5 billion.
At the NHIF, a status report on three major scams involving the fund showed the insurer was looted through the years.
And managers did little to prevent or stop losses worth billions of shillings meant to offset contributors’ medical bills. Geoffrey Mwangi was suspended as chief executive.
DCI launched a probe covering past and present managers. All board members were summoned to give an explanation on the scandals that had dogged the Fund for decades.
The scandals included the controversial Karen land paid for in 2002 but which could go down the drain should a group of claimants win an ownership tussle in court