Detectives from Ethics and Anti -Corruption Commission (EACC) have cast their net wider in the investigations relating to alleged misappropriation of public funds by Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) Kajiado regional officials, where a probe fingered an accountant after a wealth trace found her with properties worth over Sh100 million suspected to be proceeds of crime.
The accountant, Esther Wanjiru Chege believed to have fraudulently acquired the assets, lost her wealth including millions of shillings and 13 parcels of land scattered in various towns including Kiambu, Nyandarua, Naivasha, Makueni and Kajiado which EACC said put her on their radar over alleged conflict of interest, embezzlement of public funds and unexplained wealth since her net monthly salary is Sh116,640.
Sources at Integrity Centre, the nerve of EACC investigations, revealed that detectives have pursue lines than more officials, including a section of the leadership could be conspiring to defraud the taxpayer by working in cahoots with unscrupulous contractors to give kickback, which is suspected to be shared between them and rogue officials are the Transport ministry.
“Investigations is a process not an exercise. We already established a case of suspected corruption involving an accountant in that office who we found to have amassed wealth she could not explain its source. We took the matter to court where we successfully applied for order to freeze them to facilitate investigations. The investigations are not restricted to her, we have cast our next wider because we want to ensure everyone who is involved is punished. Expect more raids in that office and even in residences of some of the officials and eventually, expect to see suspects in court,” a highly placed source said on condition of anonymity.
This, the officer who is privy to the investigations said could see more officials at the regional office and their conduit have their wealth put up for forfeiting and later paraded in court.
The anti-graft body obtained the orders after suspecting that the account was being used as a channel for depositing and transferring proceeds of corruption at KeRRA
They said Wanjiru is linked to several private companies registered through proxies and relatives which have reportedly been trading with her employer, KeRRA.
EACC further established that Chege is linked to several private companies which have dealings with KeRRA.
According to the anti-graft agency, a company by the name M/s Rokays Enterprise Limited registered by Wanjiru’s her spouse/partner Robert Macharia Kimotho, who is a Director of St. Sharon Secondary School in Nyandarua, received over Sh5 million from KeRRA.
Another company, M/s Reswan Enterprises Limited, registered under James Chege Njoroge, a brother to Esther Wanjiru Chege, is said to have received about Sh20 million from KERRA.
Other companies where Wanjiru is registered as bank account signatory and which have traded with KeRRA and received payments include Kaydtech Enterprises Limited, Reswan Holdings Limited and Resro Holdings Limited.
EACC said they have noted an increasing trend where public officers are directly or indirectly doing business with the institutions they serve.
“Conflict of interest is part of the procurement-related corruption which accounts for almost 80% of the vice in the country. No Accounting Officer should preside over embezzlement of public funds in their dockets.
Similarly, Boards of State Agencies are duty-bound to enforce accountability in the utilization of public funds to ensure that Kenyans get value for money in all public expenditures,” said EACC.
“Between January 2016- May 2022, Wanjiru transacted a total credit of Sh26,359,921 and her salary account at Equity Bank, Ridgeways Branch, Kiambu, has a balance of Sh3,295,271 which EACC fears could be withdrawn and/or transferred, ” the Commission added.
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