Director of Public Prosecutions orders prosecution of county officials

Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Chief Executive Alakhe Waqo address journalists at the Kenya School of Government after opening an anti corruption workshop in Mombasa, May 18, 2015. The chief officer said at least more than thirty five files from the list of shame have already been forwarded to the Director of Prosecutions for perusal ready for prosecution. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD].

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko has directed that senior officials in Turkana and Trans Nzoia counties be arraigned in court over allegations of corruption.

The Turkana County officials are accused of making full payment for work not done in respect of rehabilitation of Kaputir-Loyapat- Kainuk road.

Trans Nzoia officials are accused of misappropriation of public funds in the tender to renovate the house of the speaker, local county assembly and another tender to erect a perimetre wall around the same house. However, Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok and Trans Nzoia’s Patrick Khaemba are not among the suspects.

Tobiko also ordered EACC to charge the Kenya Meat Commission officials who made irregular withdrawal of Sh3 million in December 2012 at KCB Kitengela branch.

The DPP further revealed that he was still studying recommendations to charge Machakos County executive members over the purchase of 15 Subaru Outback and one Toyota land Cruiser vehicles through single-sourcing.

There are claims the vehicles had been used when they were purchased in the 2013-2014 financial year.

Tobiko also said he was studying recommendation from EACC on allegations that Nyamira County Assembly irregularly procured and awarded medical insurance cover for members of the County Assembly at an inflated rate of Sh30 million.

EACC has so forwarded 16 files to the DPP. Commission CEO Halakhe Waqo (pictured) said they have finalised eight files, which have been forwarded to the joint technical team for evidence analysis before they are submitted to the DPP for direction.

“Investigations in respect of Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries are in the tail end of finalisation and will be submitted to the DPP in due course for consideration and direction,” said a joint statement signed by both Tobiko and Waqo.

On the Turkana recommendations, Nanok had sued EACC for linking him to allegations that he paid the said contractor Sh14 million for the construction of a bridge, yet none was constructed.

“The statements were grossly defamatory and were published with the intention of subjecting us to public ridicule and humiliations,” he stated.

He argued that no such payments have been made by himself or the county adding that the county’s budget has never included the construction of a bridge.

The commission is investigating 175 cases that were named in the list that was presented to Parliament by President Uhuru Kenyatta in March.

The CSs grilled so far include Kazungu Kambi (Labour), Charity Ngilu (Lands), Felix Koskei (Agriculture), Michael Kamau (Infrastructure) and Davis Chirchir (Energy).

parastatal heads

EACC detectives have also grilled four principal secretaries, two senators, 12 governors, and 11 other senior Government officials, including heads of parastatals and 55 MPs.

The President gave EACC a 60-day window within which those named in the report should be investigated. A bulk of the files are still in the hands of EACC, with less than five days to go.