EACC hiding files in Kisumu multi-million shillings probe – Weekly Citizen

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Western Kenya regional offices in Kisumu have come under scathing attack for being allegedly being insensitive to the plight of local people.

The commission’s Western region head Aura Chibole has now come under the spotlight over the manner his office has been handling graft cases within the region.

It has emerged that several files are pending at the office of the EACC offices in Kisumu with officers attached to the office having vested interests in the files for personal financial gain which in itself is the same corruption they ought to be fighting.

Kisumu senator Fred Outa has been on record urging the anti-graft body to extend its tentacles and investigate the rot at the county government but all has been in vain.

Outa

Outa wants sleuths from EACC to descend on the regime of Governor Anyang Nyongo to uncover graft that has eaten into the fibre of the county government mercilessly.

The senator says that the county government should account for the Sh4 billon designated for the Kisumu Urban Project.

He says he has personally reported to the EACC regional offices in Kisumu over the matter but nothing has so far taken place as it would appear that the regional officers go to bed with the corrupt at the county offices.

Outa also wants a probe into the Kachok dumpsite funds usage. The Kisumu city board has also constituted a committee under the chairmanship of former Mayor Sam Okello who is a member to compile a report over the funds usage within two weeks.

The files which the Western region director is sitting on include those of Siaya, Vihiga, and Kisumu and TVET institutions in those regions.

One of the files is that of the environment department where Sh30 million was allegedly used for flood mitigation programme in April 2018

The other one is Madam R Kachok dumpsite file on how the Kachok works was tendered and awarded.

Another file include one on the employment and recruitment on investigations for Kisumu county on how the county secretary and other senior directors were recruited.

It is said that the regional director has bought properties in Mlolongo, Konza and Isinya through a cousin and a lady proxy to camouflage himself. It is the cousin and the lady proxy who must be unearthed by EACC which seems not to be eager to do so, it is said.

In the Siaya county probe, the regional office received a petition against the speaker of the county assembly by the Siaya residents on May 3 2019.

He eventually took the files from the investigators and personally went to Siaya on the evening of May 21 2019, a Monday, leaving Kisumu city at 5.30pm and meeting the speaker at the speaker’s residence the same evening. It is claimed he pocketed huge sums of money over the issue and that is the reason why the matter has gone quiet.

As in the case of Vihiga county, a case of Sh18 million was said to have been wired to a private account in June 2018 through a proxy, a matter which was brought to EACC regional office but nothing so far has taken place to institute investigations into this mega scam.

It has also emerged that Sh26 million was paid for land allegedly to put up governor’s residence where Sh6 million was pocketed.

He is also sitting on the file for the spatial plan for Kisumu county.

Governor Nyongo

Several officers from the regional office are now on the loose extorting from members of the public.

They were last week seen sniffing through the Kisumu Law Courts and the subcounty offices in order to instil fear among workers there.

Outa says corruption at the Kisumu county government has reached fever pitch.

He says the government should probe the activities of the Western regional EACC boss.

“We want to know why he has not taken up several reports reported to him so far concerning a number of counties within the region,” he said.