EACC summons Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa over graft scandal at KETRACO

Barasa is required to appear before the EACC investigative panel on Monday, November 7th, 2022.

According to the commission, the former Ketraco CEO will be recording a statement in regard to a suspected fraudulent transaction said to have been paid to Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) for a project in Marsabit.

“I confirm that EACC has summoned the Governor to record a statement in an ongoing investigation relating to the Lake Turkana Wind Power project,” a source at the anti-graft body told Citizen Digital.

“The investigation stems from a report on suspected irregularities in payment to a private investor. During the transactions, the Kakamega Governor was the chief executive officer of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO).”

The Governor is among many other persons of interest under investigation over the matter.

Barasa resigned from KETRACO in February this year, a move that elicited reactions from the National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC), who had at the time launched a query into the irregular transactions between Kenya Power and the LTWP.

MPs questioned his resignation which came two months before the expiration of his tenure in April, as they also sought to unravel how over Ksh.600 million in excess was allegedly paid to LTWP and other millions of shillings were paid to the wrong accounts.

Similarly, the PIC wanted to find out why the KPLC provided LTWP with erroneous accounts and the individuals behind the said accounts.

EACC further notes that more details on the case will be issued at a later stage since the investigation is at its initial phase.