Image of the EACC headquarters at Integrity Centre in Nairobi. PHOTO | Courtesy
In Summary:
- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has apprehended five Kwale County Government officials, including the Head of Treasury and his four siblings, in connection with a Ksh.44.9 million graft scandal.
- The arrests follow allegations of misappropriation of public funds involving fraudulent contracts awarded to family-owned companies.
In a significant development, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has detained five officials from the Kwale County Government, implicating them in a Ksh.44.9 million graft scandal.
Among those apprehended is Vincent Chirima Mbito, the Head of Treasury for Kwale County, allegedly at the forefront of orchestrating the corrupt activities alongside his siblings.
The arrests encompassed four brothers: Mongo Mbito Mongo, identified as the County Revenue Officer; Hassan Shilingi Mbito, employed as a driver at the Kwale Water and Sewerage Company Limited; Mwaiwe Mongo Mbito, holding the position of Kwale County Procurement Officer; and Chindoro Mongo Mbito, serving in the Ministry of Health’s Department of Public Health and Professional Standards.
The Mbito family members are suspected of leveraging a family-owned enterprise to perpetrate the embezzlement of public funds, implicating various sectors within the Kwale County Government.
The charges revolve around ten contracts purportedly awarded to Rome Investments and Chilongola Limited, entities linked to the suspects.
The contracts, valued at Ksh.44,919,341 and Ksh.4,007,943 respectively, were allegedly inflated to benefit the suspects.
According to EACC statements, the contracts in question pertained to the procurement and delivery of sanitation materials, food and rations, general office supplies, and institutional appliances.
“The present allegations concern ten contracts that were deceptively granted to Rome Investments and Chilongola Limited, where exaggerated sums totaling Ksh.44,919,341 and Ksh.4,007,943, respectively, were disbursed. These funds were then distributed among the accused individuals,” stated EACC.
Following their arrest, the suspects were transferred from the Mombasa Central Police Station to the Anti-Corruption Court to face charges and enter pleas.
As investigations unfold, the case underscores the gravity of graft scandals and the pressing need for stringent anti-corruption measures to safeguard public funds and uphold integrity in governance.