EACC arrests four Taita Taveta County officials over Ksh 7M embezzlement

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has Tuesday arrested four senior officials from Taita Taveta County for allegedly embezzling over Ksh 7 million in a fraudulent scheme disguised as commemorating World War I between November 24th and 27th, 2022.

EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi confirmed the arrests, identifying the suspects as Thomas Jumwa, the current Economic Advisor to the Governor; Liverson Mghendi, former County Secretary; Leonard Langat, former Chief Officer of Finance; and Christine Wakera, former Chief Officer of Trade, Tourism & Cooperatives Development.

While Jumwa, Mghendi, and Langat were apprehended in Taita Taveta County, Wakera was arrested in Eldoret.

The four officials are being transported to EACC’s Lower Coast Regional Offices in Mombasa, where they will be processed and detained at Mombasa Central Police Station.

They are expected to appear before the Mombasa Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, at 9:00 AM.

The EACC launched an investigation on April 5, 2023, following a complaint regarding the theft of public funds by these senior officials.

The funds were allegedly misappropriated under the guise of expenses related to the World War I commemoration. Investigations uncovered a pattern of abuse of office, fraud, and violations of procurement laws, including:

– The event was not part of the county’s Procurement Plan for the financial year.
– The expenditure for the event was unbudgeted.
– The procurement process was rife with irregularities and lacked competitive bidding.
– Payments were made to suppliers who did not deliver any goods or services, and the supporting documents were forged.

Following a thorough investigation, the EACC forwarded the case to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who concurred with the recommendations to charge the suspects with abuse of office, forgery, engaging in a project without prior planning, conspiracy to commit corruption, and uttering false documents.

The EACC has also announced plans to recover the stolen funds from the suspects in addition to pursuing the criminal charges.