The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested seven county officials in connection with a Ksh58.5 million procurement fraud in Isiolo County Government.
The seven are among 13 suspects being targeted by the antigraft body in connection with the fraud, reported to have happened in the 2018/19 financial year.
The seven include the former Chief Officer of Finance Peter Ngechu Muhuha, former Chief Officer of Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Adano Salad Kadubo and former Head of Treasury Abdinassir Ali. Others include Yusuf Mohammed Galgalo (Former Chief Officer, Finance), Linus Gichunge Thuranira (Former County Legal Advisor) and accountants Jibril Hassan and Augustine Kariuki Gateb.
The suspects will be arraigned before the Isiolo Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, January 18, 2024.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has today arrested seven out of 13 suspects to be arraigned before the Anti-Corruption Court on corruption charges relating to Ksh58,560,000 procurement fraud in the County Government of Isiolo. This relates to a tender for the supply and delivery of a fire engine corruptly awarded to Drescoll Limited in the Financial Year 2018/2019,” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak said.
The suspects were on Wednesday processed at the EACC Isiolo Regional Offices and detained at Isiolo Central Police Station pending arraignment. Three of the suspects, Galgalo, Adano and Thuranira, are held at the EACC Integrity Centre Police Station.
According to EACC, the suspects engaged in a flawed procurement process designed to fraudulently award a tender for the supply and delivery of a fire engine to Drescoll Limited worth Ksh58,560,000.
Drescoll Limited is also at the centre of a related investigation in Marsabit involving a Ksh62 million tender for a similar supply and delivery of a fire engine.
“Upon conclusion of the investigation, a report was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who concurred with the recommendations of the Commission to charge the said 13 suspects with the following offences; willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement contrary to Section 45(2)(b) as read with 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Acts No.3 of 2003, unlawful acquisition of Public Property contrary to Section 45(1)(a) as read with 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Acts No.3 of 2003 (and) abuse of office contrary to Section 46, as read with 48(1) of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Acts No.3 of 2003,” Mbarak added.
EACC wanted list
EACC has ordered the remaining eight suspects who are yet to be arrested to immediately report to EACC Isiolo Regional Office or the nearest EACC Office.
The six include Qanchora Roba (Former Chief Finance Officer), Salad Kikuyu Sarite (Former Head of Supply Chain Management), John Thuranira Nkuraru (Supply Chain Management Assistant), Ali Godana Wako (Former Town Administrator, Isiolo County), Kennedy Macharia Murimi (Transport Officer) and Bashir Hassan Abey Mamo (Director Drescoll Limited).
