Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji is set to decide whether to arrest and prosecute two Governors, one former Governor and two sitting Principal Secretaries.
The DPP is also reviewing evidence to charge a sitting and a former MP for abuse of office and misappropriation of CDF funds, two commissioners of independent commissions, and directors of various government institutions.
EACC chairman Eliud Wabukala and CEO Halake Waqo yesterday told the Senate committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights that they had recommended three sitting governors and one who served between 2013 and 2017 to be charged with abuse of office, economic crimes, and diversion of public resources.
“These are not the petty corruption files but they are all serious files which have been investigated over the last one or two years. Some of them have been suspended because of court orders but they were lifted. In the days to come more files will be forwarded to DPP which also carry similar weight,” Waqo told the committee sitting at Parliament.
The EACC boss declined to disclose their names saying it would jeopardize the process.
“We would not let you know the names because it will prejudice the matter. We can only tell you when we take them to court,” he said, adding that “the commission is monitoring 20 sitting governors.”
However, the Star was able to independently establish the targets of arrest.
They include a governor from Western Kenya who is accused of corruptly acquiring property worth over Sh220 million and benefiting from a Sh91 million street lighting project.
He is also accused of misappropriating funds meant for the construction of Early Childhood Development (ECD) projects.
PROCUREMENT
The second governor from Nyanza is facing numerous charges. In one case, he is accused of buying cars worth Sh159 million when the tender committee approved only Sh89 million.
He is also accused of buying air tickets for his family members, relatives and politicians contrary to clear procurement procedures.
According to EACC, the county government paid business class tickets for the governor and his wife, his son, four daughters, nieces, nephews, cousins and MCAs on several occasions yet they were not employees of the county.
The governor is accused of paying air travel bills worth Sh885,000 for an MP from his county.
The county also spent Sh141 million in violation of procurement procedures, through single sourcing for services like insurance and internet services.
A former governor of a Rift Valley county is also facing arrest for among others awarding tenders without bids, in some cases without any retention bonds as provided in law for such contracts.
EACC says the governor sanctioned the purchase of eight Ford vehicles for county executives without following procurement procedures. He is further accused of fuelling county cars in a petrol station that did not have a supply contract with the county.
EACC further claims that there were no LPO’s, requisition, fuel registers, or detailed orders and delivery notes to monitor the fuel consumption by the county government.
One of the two principal secretaries is accused of flouting procurement rules in his previous station.
The PS was in the eye of a scandal last year and was moved to another key ministry when President Kenyatta reconstituted the government after elections.
The second PS is also serving his second term in the ministry that has also been rocked by corruption allegations. Senate is still investigating some of them.
