EACC arrests Turkana County nurse, company official over Ksh.2.76M irregular payments

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested a Turkana County government nurse and his business associate over alleged conflict of interest in contracts that earned their company Ksh.2.76 million from the county government.

The two suspects are identified as Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku, a registered nurse employed by the county government, and Abass Abdi Yusuf, his co-director at Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited.

The arrests follow investigations into contracts allegedly irregularly awarded to the company between 2017 and 2021.

According to EACC, investigations established that Eskuku used the company, in which he served as a director alongside Yusuf, to secure contracts and receive payments from the county government while still employed as a public officer.

The commission further alleges that Eskuku withdrew the payments in cash immediately after they were made, in what investigators believe was an attempt to conceal the source of the funds.

EACC said it had forwarded the investigation file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved the prosecution of the two suspects and the company.

They are expected to face charges including conflict of interest, money laundering and acquisition of proceeds of crime.

EACC Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication Stephen Karuga confirmed that the two were processed at EACC’s North Rift Regional Office in Eldoret ahead of their planned arraignment before the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Apart from the criminal case, the commission said it would pursue civil proceedings to recover the Ksh.2,763,681 paid to the company and seek forfeiture of any assets established to have been acquired using proceeds of crime.

EACC has since called on state organs and public entities to strengthen compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, through measures to ensure public officers declare, manage and prevent conflicts of interest.