The anti-graft watchdog has flagged off five Isiolo County accountants for allegedly receiving close to Sh200 million in their personal accounts in the form of imprests.
Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) show that the five; Daniel Kanyugo Lenyangume, Monica Nkirote Rukwaro, Stephen Muthomi m’anampiu, Japhet Purity Nkatha and Joseph Gikera Mburu received Sh48,697,530, Sh30,452,715, Sh46,971,100, Sh20,432,695 and Sh46,462,600 respectively amounting to Sh196,016,910 on diverse dates between August 2019 and June this year.
According to EACC, the five officials working at the county’s Finance and Economic Planning Department are suspected to have been used as conduits for the fraudulent payment of the money for sharing among more officials including those in senior county leadership.
Earlier, the commission had requested the county government for various documents including relevant payment vouchers as needed in the investigations but they were not delivered.
With the evidence gathered, the commission will be seeking to recover the funds from the suspects and charge them in court.
“The investigation is expected to inform various actions including recovery of the lost public funds and criminal prosecution of the persons found culpable,” EACC said in a statement.
Rise in cases of county officials’ involvement in graft in the country has exposed existing corruption networks involving junior and senior staff in counties and pointed to a weak oversight on the part of county assemblies whose main mandate is to ensure accountability in utilization of public funds.
Last week, EACC arraigned a key suspect in a case where forged documents were used to secure a sh100 million airstrip upgrade tender awarded by Kericho County government.
Mr Jonathan Rono, the owner of Jemororan Construction Company Limited was arrested after a court in Kericho issued his arrest warrant.
Investigations by EACC established that the company had forged documents to show that it had the capacity to undertake the contract yet was not even registered with the National Construction Agency (NCA).
He pleaded not guilty and was granted a sh2 million cash bail.
His co-accused persons David Rono, Joash Chirchir, Nelson Ngétich, John Mibei, Everlyne Morogo and Geoffrey Komen had been charged in July this year.
