Kenya’s National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge are set to face charges over alleged irregular advance payments for the construction of Kimwarer and Arror dams.
According to the Director of Public Prosecutions, Noordin Haji, “The persons we are charging today were mandated with safeguarding our public interest and deliberately breached this trust and not only bound Kenya to a loan but they ensured that the funds did not come into the consolidated fund, in effect guaranteeing that no one was oversighting its use, they broke the law on public finance management, under the guise of carrying out legitimate commercial transactions colossal amounts were unjustifiably and illegally paid out through a well-choreographed scheme by government officers in collusion with private individuals and institutions.”
“Upon investigations by the DCI, it was established that the conception, procurement, and payment for the Arror and Kimwarer Dam projects in Elegeyo Marakwet County were riddled with massive illegalities.”
“Being cognizant that corruption always fights back and that there may be elements who may seek to exploit these indictments to instigate social unrest we have put in place mechanisms to monitor any such attempts, which will be countered with whole of government response.”
#BREAKING: Treasury CS Henry Rotich and other top gov’t officials set to be arrested over Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal, DPP Haji says. pic.twitter.com/3M9eDqg4uq
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) July 22, 2019
Haji further said their investigations established that government officials flouted all procurement rules and abused their oath of office to ensure the scheme went through. Many procurement procedures as stipulated by the law for such projects were ignored and the law was circumvented to ensure that CMC di Ravenna got the contract.
Other individuals mentioned include: East Africa Community PS Susan Koech, Kerio Valley Development Authority managing director Kipchumba Kimosop, Treasury chief economist Kennedy Nyachiro and Treasury director of resource mobilisation Jackson Kinyanjui, Inspector General of State Corporations Titus Muriithi, KVDA head of supply chain William Kipkemboi, Paul Serem (manager, engineering services), Francis Chepkonga , Samuel Kimutai , David Juma, Patrick Kiptoo, Elizabeth Kebenei and Esther Kiror of the tendering committee.
From the ad hoc technical and financial committee, the following are to be arrested: Moses Kipchumba, Nelson Korir, Isaac Kiiru, Patrick Kipsang, Frederick Towett, Jotham Rutto, Charity Muui, Geoffrey Wahungu and David Ongare and Boniface Lengisho.
