The anti-corruption agency has said it will pursue former top managers of the defunct Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) involved in the 'chicken' scandal.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) swung into action after the conviction of two officials from British firm Smith and Ouzman Ltd for corruptly agreeing to make payments to officials of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission's (IEBC) predecessor, IIEC, and Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) in order to win tenders.
The watchdog said it will soon press charges against officials, some of who were absorbed by IEBC, who were not before the United Kingdom court for corruption after it concludes its investigations, majorly based on the judgement by the London-based court.
EACC Spokesman Yassin Amaro did not disclose the officials they are targeting, saying that would jeopardise chances of pressing charges against the culprits.
"From the outset, EACC has been co-operating with the London authorities on the matter and we had dispatched our senior investigators.
"Now it's a matter of time before we complete our investigations," he said.
The conviction of the top officials over the 'chicken' scandal has sent a wave of jitters among IEBC officials.
According to the proceedings, the UK company's officials allegedly gave hefty bribes to win major contracts in Kenya.
The firm, Smith and Ouzman, Christopher John Smith and Nicholas Charles Smith were on Monday found guilty of corruptly agreeing to make payments to IIEC and Knec officials by the London-based court.
The anti-graft agency said it was in the process of getting evidence that led to the conviction of the two to assist it and the Director of Public Prosecutions' office incriminate IIEC and Knec officials who were implicated.
According to Yassin, the judgement from the London court might also have a bearing on the cases involving top IEBC officials in Kenya.
BROKER
He said the State had already frozen the accounts of the 'broker' behind the scam. He said bank accounts held by Trevy Oyombra, a 35-year-old former procurement officer at the disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), will enable the commission trail the money flow between the London-based firms to the accounts of those accused locally.
A jury of 12 at Southwark Crown Court convicted them after a Serious Fraud Office (SFO) investigation that found that payments totalling to Sh70.5 million were wired to public officials for contracts in four African states that included Kenya, Somaliland, Ghana and Mauritania.
Records contained in the London court say the two passed money to top officials of the two commissions in order to win the tender for printing election materials and others for Knec.
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Smith and Ouzman, a printing firm dealing with security documents such as ballot papers and certificates, was convicted of three counts of corruptly agreeing to make payments, contrary to Section 1(1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1906.
Closer home, former IEBC officials James Oswago, Wilson Shollei (deputy commission secretary, support services), Edward Kenga Karisa (director of finance and procurement) and Willy Gachanja Kamanga (procurement manager) appeared before Nairobi Chief Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo.
They faced four counts of failing to comply with the law relating to procurement contrary to Section 45(2)(b) as read with Section 48 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003 and abuse of office.
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