DPP wants misuse of public funds in Garissa County probed

DPP Noordin Haji and lead prosecutor Taib Ali Taib at a past media briefing. [Standard]

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has written to the Inspector General of Police to investigate misuse of public funds in Garissa County and its six constituencies.

According to the letters addressed to IG Hillary Mutyambai, the office of the DPP has received numerous complaints in respect to mismanagement of county funds and Constituency Development Funds (CDF) across the six constituencies in Garissa and wants a comprehensive probe undertaken.

“You have been directed to conduct a comprehensive investigation on all the six Constituency development funds within Garissa and forward the files to my office for directions,” read one of the letters seen by the Standard Digital.

The DPP wants the investigations completed within 30 days beginning today and the reports handed over to its office for action.

“Taking into account the magnitude of the task, kindly let me have a progress report within 30 days,” Haji said in the letters.

He also indicated that a similar request had been given to the Auditor General to undertake a comprehensive audit into the constituencies and county accounts and operations.

The letters were both copied to Directorate of Criminal Investigation George Kinoti.

This comes after the arrest of Kiambu county officials and an impending arrest of Governor Waititu in a fresh anti-graft crackdown.

The arrest and charging of Treasury CS Henry Rotich and his PS Kamau Thugge over graft is a clear indication that more high-profile arrests will be witnessed in the country.

With the latest ruling by High Court judge Mumbi Ngugi that any governor charged with corruption must step aside until the trial is completed, Kenyans should expect more arrests in the coming days.