The Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) is set to meet the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Ingonga to explain why 18 corruption-related criminal cases involving county executives and assemblies were abruptly withdrawn, leaving suspects discharged despite billions of shillings in taxpayers’ money unaccounted for.
The committee’s move follows a tense meeting with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) leadership on the fate of cases referred to the agency since 2013.
EACC chief executive Abdi Mohamed told senators that the DPP’s office had failed to provide reasons for the withdrawals, noting that 17 of the 18 cases were terminated by prosecutors without consultation.
“While we are not questioning the withdrawals, it is our humble plea that, as investigators, they should be courteous enough to inform us,” Mohamed said.
Isiolo topped the list with three withdrawn cases, while Makueni, Tharaka Nithi, Garissa, Turkana, Nakuru, Nyeri, Embu, Kericho, Nyamira, Kitui, Taita Taveta, Kwale, Meru and Kakamega each recorded one.
Senator Okongo Omogeni challenged EACC to admit there is a systemic prosecution problem. “There is a clear disconnect between the office of the DPP and the EACC,” he argued, urging Parliament to amend the law to give the commission prosecutorial powers.
Mr. Mohamed countered that investigators are powerless once the DPP invokes constitutional authority to drop cases. The agency, he revealed, processes up to 3,000 complaints daily but has only 200 investigators, forcing it to prioritize cases by public interest and value for money.
EACC chair David Oginde said reforms in the prosecutorial framework are essential to enable the commission to fulfill its anti-graft mandate.
