Silverio Omari
Two former Chief Officers of the Isiolo County Government, Giro Liban and Kenneth Turibu Maorwe, have been arrested and charged in court for their alleged involvement in a multi-million shilling tender fraud. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) linked the duo to irregular payments amounting to Ksh.163.4 million made to various suppliers for services that were never rendered.
The suspects reportedly awarded contracts to Dabasiti Contractors and Suppliers Limited for food supplies and car hire services. Investigations revealed that the tender was awarded without a procurement plan or an approved budget, raising concerns about the county government’s processes.
An audit by the Auditor General and the Pending Bills Verification Task Force Committee (PBVC) confirmed the Ksh.163.4 million payment as a pending bill, which the county government subsequently settled.
Following these findings, EACC arrested the suspects on Tuesday and detained them at its Upper Eastern Regional Offices in Isiolo. The two were later arraigned before Chief Magistrate Lucy Mutai, where they pleaded not guilty to eight counts of willful failure to comply with procurement laws and four counts of abuse of office.
The court released the suspects on Ksh.1 million cash bail each or a bond of the same amount. The case is scheduled for mention on December 23, 2024, with the hearing set for February 26, 2025.
Dj Vnyash
