The anti-graft sleuths are probing the Tana and Athi River Development Authority (Tarda) to authenticate claims of false identification by a top manager, breach of procurement laws and abuse of office.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigators are on the case of acting Chief Executive Offficer Steven Ruimuku who has been accused of changing his name and reducing his age by five years to avoid retirement.
He is also accused of illegal approval of Sh2 million being payment to Mark Line Management, which was not pre-qualified for the work.
The acting CEO is also on the spot for skewed employment, as it is claimed that he only considers his close relations whom he puts on salaries above the recommended guidelines.
Mr Ruimuku’s identity has also come under sharp criticism as it emerged in Auditor General Edward Ouko's report that he is earning more than Sh10.8 million.
Dr Ouko also faulted the ability of the Government to monitor the bio-data of its employees, following the huge figure paid to Ruimuku.
According to the Tarda audit report tabled in the House a fortnight ago, the revenue and expenditure account shows glaring discrepancies, including the CEO’s pay.
“Rumuiku changed his date of birth from 1953 to 1958, a date which he uses on most of his official documents. Accordingly, his true age is 62 - he ought to have retired in 2008,” the auditor stated in the report.
Ouko also documented that Rumuiku's action amounts to criminal action.
“The Sh10.8 million basic pay and the allowances were illegally earned and amount to fraud by Rumuiku,” noted Ouko in the report.
EACC officials stormed the Tarda headquarters in Nairobi last week and took away sensitive documents relating to the CEO's personal file and those relating to the award of tenders at the agency in recent times.
Documents availed to The Standard showed that Rumuiku has two different names appearing on all official documents in the authority, and investigators are interested in establishing what happened.
The auditor's report further indicates that Rumuiku should have retired from public service in 2008 after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 55.
The officer is alleged to have changed his name from the one on his national identity card, as captured by the national registration bureau, to a different one that matches with his passport acquired in 2011.
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