EACC probing 67 corruption reports in the NG-CDF

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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating 67 cases relating to the mismanagement of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).

The commission’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdi Mohamud, confirmed that the 67 malpractice cases were in various stages of action within the criminal justice system.

In a speech read by Western Regional Manager Eric Ngumbi, Mohamud stated that corruption in the NG-CDF included conflict of interest, procurement fraud, kickback payments, extortion, money laundering and embezzlement of public funds.

Yesterday in Nakuru County, Ngumbi led the training of at least 350 NG-CDF officials and committee members from the Western region.

“EACC has discovered the NG-CDF officials have been awarding themselves contracts through proxy companies, extorting contractors, issuing bursaries for ghost students, paying for services not rendered, ghost projects, inflating project costs, and diverting funds,” confirmed Mohamud.

According to the Anti-Corruption boss, the commission is investigating a case where a private contractor was irregularly awarded 49 tenders and paid over Sh66 million.

According to EACC, the payment was made from various NG-CDF Committees and National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF), across 11 counties, in two financial years.

“None of the NG-CDF Committees represented here is immune to these challenges,” warned the commission.

The commission reminded the officials that corruption had been rampant in NG-CDF offices and it was their responsibility to help EACC fight corruption by being ambassadors.

Mohamud admitted that corruption was increasingly gaining prominence as a threat to the fabric of the society and a major obstacle to service delivery at the community level.

“NG-CDF is central to Kenya’s development by which the government translates national aspirations into investments in roads, schools, health facilities, water systems, and others at the grassroots level,” said Mohamud.

The commission warned that it was going after rogue officials at the NG-CDF, who had betrayed public trust and transformed their entrusted roles into opportunities for personal enrichment.

Mohamud said they had credible reports that some of the NG-CDF funds had been infiltrated by some corrupt individuals who see them as avenues for self-enrichment through looting.

EACC, Mohamud noted, would trace and recover unexplained wealth and corruptly acquired assets held by individuals.

“Where investigations establish that NG-CDF officials have facilitated irregular payments, they will be held to account, and the funds recovered from them,” he said.

Secondly, EACC plans to address bribery at service-delivery points through targeted intelligence probes through digitization.

Mohamud urged Kenyans to embrace the initiative on Instant Traffic Fine System and e-government procurement, to reduce bribery and extortion at service-delivery points.

“We will monitor capital-intensive projects implemented by both national and county governments and do systematic review and corruption risk assessment in public entities to detect, expose, and seal loopholes that permit corruption,” he said.

The commission urged the NG-CDF officials to ensure that every shilling was accounted for, every project was credible, and every decision was transparent.

“Resist any undue influence, coercion, or blackmail from any person to facilitate unlawful expenditure of other breaches of the law,” urged Mohamud.