Ex-Tourism PS Rebecca Nabutola ordered to pay gov't Ksh.8.9M obtained fraudulently

The High Court has ordered former Tourism PS Rebecca Nabutola and two other individuals to hand back Ksh.8.9 million to the government which is believed to have been acquired fraudulently.

According to the anti-graft body EACC, Nabutola, Dr. Ong’ong’a Achieng (CEO, Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees) and Duncan Muriuki (Director, Maniago Safaris) embezzled Ksh.8,925,440 in 2007 by irregularly procuring services to organise a 'Permanent Secretaries’ trip to Maasai Mara and a breakfast meeting for the Minister for Tourism.

"Investigations established that the public funds in the sum of Ksh. 8,925,440 were paid by Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees (CTDLT) on behalf of KTB to Maniago Safaris despite event expenses having already been met by Kenya Association of Tourism Operators (KATO)," EACC said in a statement.

"Investigations further revealed that the tender award to Maniago Safaris as Agents to organize the Permanent Secretaries’ trip was done exclusively by Rebecca Nabutola, then PS for Tourism, Dr. Ong’ong’a Achieng, and Duncan Muriuki without the involvement of KTB, its Tender Committees or the Ministry of Tourism."

According to EACC, by not following laid-out procurement procedures the trio defrauded KTB.

After getting wind of the fraud allegations, EACC filed a suit before the High Court to have the trio remit the said funds.

"Upon hearing the case, Justice Esther Maina of the High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division entered judgement in favour of EACC ordering the Defendants to jointly and severally pay the cash together with costs and interest at Court rates," said EACC.