Five former Nyandarua County officials arrested for paying suppliers Ksh.13M for ‘air’

The suspects Vincent Muiruri Wambui (Supply Chain Management Officer), Sophia Wairimu Karanja (Assistant Supply Chain Officer), Shadrack Kanyungo Ndirangu (Weight and Measures Officer) and Timothy Ngunjiri Kiragu (IFMIS Accountant). 

The suspects, who are part of eight individuals linked to the scheme, were arrested on Wednesday by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for forging documents to remit the said funds, which were purportedly meant for a County Investment Conference.

"The suspects, who were contemporaneously arrested in Nyandarua, Nairobi and Naivasha, are currently held at EACC Nakuru  Regional Offices and will later be detained at Nakuru Central Police Station pending arraignment before Nakuru Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday February 1, 2024," a source at EACC told Citizen Digital.

The remaining suspects Daniel Kamua Muguko (Chief Officer Trade) and Regina Wairimu Wacira (Chief Co-op Auditor) remain at large. They have since been ordered to turn themselves in to EACC's Nyeri office. 

Confirming the incident, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi noted that investigations into the said fraud scheme commenced after the anti-graft agency received complaints on the same in 2018. 

"The Commission established that money was paid to the following Six (6) companies; Grey Apple Company (Ksh.2,693,103.45), Smart People Africa (Ksh.2,216,917,25), Hams Camera Services (Ksh.1,887,292.75), Enrich Associates Limited (Ksh.1,223,427.60), Sun Link Engineering (Ksh.1,755,518.45 and Steady Link Solutions (Ksh.2,539,947.40)," Ngumbi said. 

After concluding investigations, EACC recommended that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) charge the eight suspects.  

They will be charged with conspiring and committing economic crimes, engaging in fraud and willfully failing to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to incurring of expenditures.