EACC wants Athi Water CEO Michael Thuita suspended over graft allegations

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has expressed disappointment with the alleged blatant refusal by Water Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome to act on the commission's advice and suspend the Athi Water Works Development Authority chief executive officer, Engineer Michael Thuita over the alleged irregular award of a multi-billion-shilling tender.

According to a letter drafted on 24th May this year by the EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak to the Water CS, EACC had unravelled continued malpractices that led to massive corruption at the Athi Water Works Development Authority.

Mbarak and EACC sleuths say they received allegations of corruption and massive embezzlement of public funds by Eng. Michael Thuita, and began investigations. It is alleged that the CEO was involved in the irregular award of several tenders that include,

Tender NoAWSB/REO/042012-2013, design and building of the Karimenu II dam at a cost of Kshs 24 Billion. Tender No. AWWDA/AfDB/KTSWSSP/W/10/2018-The last mile water connectivity and Sanitation in the TANATHI area that was awarded at a cost of Ksh.720 million. and Tender No. AWSB/RDBSWS/IFP/04/2013 - that involved the Design and building of the proposed Ruiru II Dam that was awarded at a cost of Ksh.26 billion.

EACC says it requested the CEO of AWWDA to provide the information and documentation in regard to the 3 projects. The delay in transmitting the information to EACC was manifested by the fact that the CEO had issued firm instructions that the AWWDA employees should not release any information without his approval.

The Commission wrote to the CS Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Alice Wahome advising her to consider suspending the CEO of AWWDA to pave way for investigation and to allow a smooth flow of documents and also to ensure that the CEO does not interfere with witnesses who are employees working under him.

But on 31st May 2023, CS Wahome wrote back to the Commission demanding to be provided with confidential information against the CEO before any action could be taken.

In her letter, Wahome was categorical, the officer in question is entitled to a fair hearing as contained in article 47 of

Her action prompted the intervention of the PS State Department of Water and Sanitation. On 12th September 2023, the PS Dr. Kipronoh Rotich wrote to CS Wahome urging her to comply with EACC'’s demands to suspend the CEO.

Dr. Kipronoh further added that it was in the public interest to cushion AWWDA against further impropriety of public funds. Wahome has since declined to suspend the CEO.

In his letter to the CS Wahome, PS Kipronoh reminded the cabinet secretary that the decision to instruct her to suspend the CEO is in line with President William Ruto's pronouncement on zero tolerance for corruption.

The PS wound up his letter to the CS by disclosing that the board of AWWDA had been requested to consider and review all bank signatories for the agency to ensure compliance with this decision.

The decision by the CS not to suspend Eng. Thuita now appears to have brought about frosty relations between a sitting cabinet secretary and her accounting officer at the ministry.

EACC says it will continue pursuing the matter until it gathers all the evidence it requires.

It says it is investigating the officer and the action of the CS in declining to suspend the officer is an affront to the ongoing efforts to tame graft in the public service, which sets a very dangerous precedent that may be taken up by other heads of public institutions that EACC routinely requires to suspend officers under probe.