Court orders EACC to seize Ksh.91M property belonging to former Machakos CEC

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained orders from the High Court to seize multi-million assets belonging to former Machakos County Executive Committee (CEC) Member Urbanus Wambua Musyoka.

The court found that the property worth Ksh.91,202,892  was acquired fraudulently through corruption between January 2014 and July 2021.

The property consists of a residential building at Kibauni/ Kamuthwa in Mwala, Machakos County valued at Ksh.80.25 million and Ksh.10.95 million being cash transacted through Musyoka’s two bank accounts.

EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi confirmed the court order on Wednesday saying that the ruling was part of two recovery suits seeking to recover a cumulative total of Ksh.548,250,106 from the county official in the period under review.

He says that the second suit which is still pending before court seeks to recover a total of Ksh.457,047,214. 80 that Musyoka received in fraudulent tender payments through companies owned by his wife, brother and proxies.

The companies include Wafih International Limited which received Ksh.115,203,820, Wisdom Holdings Limited (Ksh.165,880,047), Kikoto General Merchants (Ksh.40,284,440) and Wemmar Enterprises which received Ksh.135,679,706, monies which EACC says is proceeds of crime.

Further investigations showed that Musyoka received the aforementioned from Machakos County Government as he operated the bank accounts as a sole signatory.

EACC also notes that the four companies did not remit taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and owed the Authority Ksh.181,722,145.

In 2021, EACC sought Musyoka to account for his wealth which led to conclusion that he was in possession of unexplained wealth liable to forfeiture to the State being proceeds of corruption.

Musyoka and his associates were arrested and arraigned before the Machakos Anti-Corruption Court in November 2023 and charged with conflict of interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, willful failure to comply with laws relating to procurement, fraudulent practice in procurement and uttering false documents.

They denied all charges levelled against them.

Following the high court order on Monday, the Commission will now proceed to seize the assets for return to the public.