Eight Tana River county officials arrested over Sh9m fraud

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested eight senior Tana River County officials on corruption charges linked to a Sh9 million tender awarded to Al-Karim Construction in 2018. 

The EACC is also pursuing six additional suspects, including five company directors, accused of using forged documents to secure the tender. 

EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, confirming the arrest, said the tender, initially valued at Sh5.9 million, was illegally inflated to Sh9 million in a scheme involving the county officials and the company’s directors. 

“We have arrested eight senior officers from Tana River County and are pursuing six more suspects for corruption,” said Ngumbi.

 “The suspects will face five charges at the Hola Court as we continue to search for those in hiding,” he added, during a press briefing in Naivasha. 

According to EACC, they will be charged with forgery, fraudulent procurement process, engaging in a project without prior planning, conspiracy to commit corruption, and willful failure to comply with the law relating to procurement.

The agency’s spokesperson further urged the directors to present themselves at the EACC offices in Malindi, warning that failure to do so would lead to their arrest. 

Ngumbi also raised concerns about the growing number of graft cases in counties, pointing to officials amassing unexplained wealth in short periods.