EACC raids Kitui sand trader's home amid revenue, environmental concerns

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission headquarter in Nairobi (PHOTO: File)

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives yesterday raided the home of prominent Kitui sand trader Peter Kalungu at Kwa Mutonga in Kitui West and seized bundles of documents believed to be crucial to investigations into unregulated sand harvesting and revenue collection by the county government.

The operation, which lasted nearly five hours, came amid growing concerns over alleged uncontrolled sand harvesting, environmental degradation and revenue leakages linked to the lucrative sand trade.

Kalungu, a former councilor who is the chairman of Kitui sand transporters sacco was reportedly away from home when the detectives arrived.

There was a standoff at the home when he reportedly made frantic calls to his workers, allegedly instructing them to prevent the officers from gaining access to his house.

The standoff escalated when a grader was brought in and started digging a large trench at the entrance, in an apparent attempt to frustrate the detectives from leaving the compound.

Police officers from nearby stations were summoned to secure the scene and assist the EACC team. The detectives who were in a van eventually left with bundles of documents.

The documents are expected to assist investigators in tracing the operations of the sand trade, revenue collection and alleged irregularities that may have resulted in the loss of millions of shillings for the county's own-source revenue.

The raid comes against the backdrop of sustained pressure by Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua for action to be taken against unregulated sand harvesting that has devastated the county's seasonal rivers.

Wambua has raised the issue at the Senate, calling for investigations into sand harvesting and its impact on the environment and the county’s revenue base.