Governor Orengo on EACC radar over graft

Siaya Governor James Orengo is on the radar of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) over corruption related charges.

Speaking at the 3rd EACC Anti Corruption Workshop for Media Practitioners, EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak maintains that the devolved unit is among the counties under red flag.

In the 3rd quarterly report of EACC released in 2023 placed Siaya County among the top 10 counties on the spot over embezzlement of public funds worth millions.

Investigations conducted by the Anti Graft Body Showed that Ksh 400 million was allegedly embezzled in Siaya County through claims of allowances for training and official public engagements, which were never held.

Twelve employees of the Siaya County government have been recommended to be charged with various offences of corruption and economic crimes.

Top on that list is Hezron Opiyo, an Accountant at the Department of Finance and Economic Planning, who is alleged to have received Ksh 18,980,830 to his account through irregular applications.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officials are also investigating claims of fraudulent acquisition of public funds amounting to Ksh 72 million in the installation of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) unit at Siaya Referral Hospital.

On the radar of the moral agency, are the County Executive Officers (CECs) who served under the former County boss Cornel Rasanga.

The investigators are probing how Ksh 112 million was channeled through the Executive bank account to clerks of various County Assembly committees with three of them receiving up to five payments in a day ranging between Ksh 650,000 and Ksh 716,000 under the imprest account.

The commission claims one staff received three payments including Ksh 200,000 travel allowance, Ksh 425,000 for Daily subsistence Allowance (DSA) and Ksh 125,000 for bank service commission charge, respectively.