Silverio Omari
A cleaner from the State Department of Correctional Services, Eric Kipkirui Mutai, has been accused of embezzling Ksh.257 million through proxy companies during the financial years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. According to a statement from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Mutai was listed as the director of seven companies contracted to supply goods to several prisons in Nairobi. These companies include Homex Logistics, Hygienic Ventures, Nerimas General Agencies, Trechris Services, Unique Supplies, Facton Logistics, and White Unicorn Logistics.
The EACC’s investigation found that the payment vouchers from these companies were fraudulent, as no actual food supplies were delivered to the prisons. Additionally, the delivery notes lacked the name of the receiving officer, a necessary requirement. The EACC also noted the absence of local purchase orders, inspection, and acceptance committee certificates in the payment vouchers and found that none of the supposed deliveries were recorded in the prison’s books.
Mutai, who has worked as a cleaner at the prisons department for seven years, is among 13 suspects implicated in the embezzlement of Ksh.450 million from the Prisons Department. On Thursday, five suspects, including Mutai, were arrested in connection with the scandal: Sarah Kemunto (Chief Finance Officer), Moses Juma Sirengo (Principal Accountant), Jack Nyariango Ogao (Accountant), and Maureen Ndungwa (Director of one of the involved companies).
The EACC reported that Mutai lived a lavish lifestyle following the scandal, acquiring seven cars, a piece of land, and a house in Nairobi valued at Ksh.17.5 million. These assets were frozen by a High Court ruling in 2022, pending the outcome of the case.
The five suspects are scheduled to appear at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Friday, July 19. The EACC has also directed the eight other suspects who remain at large to surrender to the nearest EACC office by Friday.
Dj Vnyash
