EACC recovers Sh13b after winning 130 graft cases over five years

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak. [Edward Kiplimo/Standard]

The anti-corruption agency has recovered Sh13 billion following the conclusion of 180 graft cases it had filed between 2014 and 2019.

A report released by the agency on Friday last week indicated that out of the 180 concluded cases, it won 130, which resulted in the recovery of the money.  

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) further said it was on course of obtaining more graft convictions.

The report dubbed The Status of the fight against corruption by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission was released by EACC Chief Executive Twalib Mbarak.

Mr Mbarak said that during the period under review, investigations into 844 cases had been concluded and the files handed over to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

Among high profile individuals, the report said were successfully convicted for corruption are former nominated Senator Joy Gwendo, former Eldoret MP Peris Chepchumba and former permanent secretary Sammy Kipng’etich.

The report also cited the slow pace at which the judicial system was handling cases, saying this led to delays.

“The delays are real; for example, the next hearing date in the Land and Environment Court is in 2021,” read the report.

In the list of pending graft cases, Nairobi County tops with 148. EACC aims to recover Sh5 billion if it wins the cases. Mombasa comes second with 57, from which the commission targets to recover Sh900 million.

Kisumu has 43 pending cases. Some of the lawsuits are high profile, involving senior government officials and politicians.

Mbarak said top cases whose investigation had been concluded included procurement irregularities at the State Department of Correctional Facilities, where Sh4.8 billion is suspected to have been lost.

Construction of the Lake Basin Development Authority mall, where Sh4.1 billion could have been lost, is also another investigation that has been concluded.

A file with details of how a senior official at the Kenya Revenue Authority allegedly swindled the State out of  Sh1 billion has been presented to the DPP.

Some of the top officials being prosecuted by the commission for graft are governors Mike Sonko (Nairobi), Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu) as well as former governors Ferdinand Waititu (Kiambu) and Evans Kidero (Nairobi).

EACC said Sh545 billion in unexplained wealth from State officials had been confiscated and would be surrendered to the government.

At the same time, Mbarak dismissed claims that the war on corruption was political. “Professionalism is a core value of the commission in the execution of its mandate,” said Mbarak.

He noted a number of bottlenecks, which he blamed for the sluggish nature of the war against corruption. Top among them were lean staff and low funding.

The report indicates that some of the witnesses the commission relies on to build its cases end up being intimidated.

EACC chairman Eliub Wabukhala dismissed those calling for the disbandment of the commission through Building Bridges Initiative, citing its role in the war against graft.