EACC probes theft of Ksh.400M by Siaya County officials in 12 days after August elections

In a statement issued on Friday, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said county officials in Siaya withdrew Ksh.400 million from county coffers in a series of suspicious withdrawals.

This, the EACC, says happened within 12 days after the August elections and despite a directive by the new Governor James Orengo stopping procurements, payment of allowances and pending bills.

“The employees went ahead and paid themselves hefty amounts during the transition period,” said EACC.

In one instance, EACC notes that an official in the Finance Department received six payments out of which five were made on August 31st while the sixth was made on September 6, 2022.

The payments were as follows: Ksh.225,000 (travel cost), Ksh.93,000 (tuition fees allowance), Ksh.200,000 (accommodation allowance), Ksh.250,000 for tuition fees and Ksh.120,000 for advertising awareness and publicity campaign.

“Another senior staff member is alleged to have received three payments including Ksh.200,000 for travel cost, Ksh.425,000 for daily subsistence allowance and Ksh. 125,000 for bank service commission charge, respectively,” added EACC.

In a separate case, a support staff officer is alleged to have received Ksh. 748,000 for purported contracted technical services.

EACC further points out that some Ksh.112 was channelled from the County Executive bank accounts to clerks of various County Assembly committees with three of the clerks receiving upto five payments in one day ranging between Ksh. 650,000 and Ksh.716, 000 under the imprest account. 

“Investigations are ongoing to inform appropriate legal action including criminal prosecution of any culpable persons and recovery of the stolen public funds,” said the anti-graft agency.

Still in Siaya County, EACC is investigating loss of public funds amounting to Ksh.72 million in the procurement for installation and equipment of an ICU unit at the Siaya Referral Hospital by the County Government.

“It is alleged that the funds were disbursed when the hospital opened an ICU Department but no equipment was purchased. Instead, the County Government installed ventilators that had earlier been donated by Kijabe Hospital,” said EACC.

According to EACC, staff who allegedly objected to the fraudulent activities were transferred and replaced with new ones who were irregularly employed, without any advertisement. 

“The new team is reported to have gone ahead to facilitate the fraudulent scheme,” said EACC.