- EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak said no one would be spared in the ongoing probe into the alleged procurement scandal.
- Probe that may see close allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta arrested and prosecuted.
Image: MAGDALINE SAYA
At least five politicians, top government officials and directors of 50 companies linked to the Kemsa scandal are expected to be questioned at EACC headquarters on Monday.
The Star has established that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is pursuing politicians from both the ruling Jubilee party and the Opposition.
The politicians are among those whom have been mentioned in the alleged scandal that has caused a political storm in the country.
Last week, EACC had a date with former Gatanga MP David Murathe and former Karachuonyo MP James Rege.
The commission has since clarified that Rege was only asked to confirm that his company financed an entity called Duke which got some tenders at Kemsa.
Rege is not a signatory of Duke and the commission said there was no indication of wrongdoing.
On Sunday, EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak said no one would be spared in the ongoing probe into the alleged procurement scandal at Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.
Mbarak who spoke to the Star on phone, however, could not divulge more information on the probe that may see close allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta arrested and prosecuted.
“This will not be the right time until done with investigations,” he said on the investigation, which stemmed from Kemsa's move to procure items in excess of its approved budget.
Whereas the entity got a green light to procure items worth about Sh750 million, officials proceeded to procure items of about Sh7.8 billion.
Following the development, Kemsa is now stuck with Sh6.2 billion worth of goods it is seeking MPs help to dispose.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi’s wife and son will face the investigators following allegations that through their firm Caperina Enterprises Ltd they were awarded a Sh45 million tender for the supply of surgical masks.
Last Friday, Jubilee party vice chairman David Murathe was grilled for hours after it emerged that he was a signatory to a bank account operated by Kilig Limited.
The company, which was registered on January 22 and not among the pre-qualified firms at Kemsa, was hand-picked and awarded a lucrative Sh4 billion tender for the supply of 450,000 personal protective equipment at Sh9,000 each.
After being questioned at Integrity Centre, Murathe told journalists that he was summoned to the EACC headquarters “to provide more information” on the basis of his recent assertions when he dragged Deputy President William Ruto's name into the tender scandal.
“In that interview, I said I have certain evidence of persons associated with the DP who were linked with this famous company called Kilig. I know Wilbrod who is a partner in Kilig with M. Zu, a Chinese partner, and I know at some point when they were unable to secure financing for importation of the kits and they transferred their shareholding to persons who are known partners of the Deputy President,” Murathe said.
"I am expecting very soon that they will also be calling the Deputy President to come and make his statement in regards to what he knows on this issue."
The Jubilee vice chair said he had demanded that the persons who said they have information about Kemsa be summoned to assist EACC with the probe.
However, the letter summoning him to EACC wanted him to explain what he knew about the Kiling Limited account.
“The commission is investigating allegations of procurement irregularities in relation to the Covid-19 emergency supplies at Kemsa where Kilig Limited, a company you are a signatory to its bank account, is featured,” Mbarak said in his letter to Murathe.
Edited by Henry Makori