Two Kenya Forest Service officers arrested for fraud, Ksh.73K recovered

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested two Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers stationed in Garissa for their alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme exploiting casual employees.

The officers are accused of inflating payments to casual workers and then demanding that the excess amounts be returned to them.

Confirming the arrests on Wednesday, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi stated that the officers had been depositing overpayments into the bank accounts of casual workers under the pretense of legitimate compensation.

Afterwards, the workers were instructed to withdraw the excess funds and hand them over to the KFS officers.

Conservator Elphas Tembu Wesonga and Accountant Ibrahim Aden Hussein were apprehended during an EACC operation on Tuesday, where a total of Ksh.73,000 said to be part of the day’s collection from the scheme was recovered.

It is alleged that the funds collected through this scheme were distributed among the officers and their superiors.

The two suspects were processed at the EACC's North Eastern Regional Offices in Garissa before being booked at Garissa Police Station, where they are currently awaiting further legal proceedings.