Six people suspected to be behind a fraudulent Ksh.600 million procurement for the development of the Malaba Water and Sanitation Project have been arrested.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detained six government employees on Wednesday.
The six include four officials of the Rift Valley Water Services Board (RVWSB) who were arrested in Nakuru and Eldoret, namely, Rachael Nafula Makokha (Programme Coordinator), Agnes Jerop Bowen (Programme Accountant), Eng. Patrose Sempeiyan Leshinka (Programme Engineer), and David Kigen (Procurement Assistant).
The other two are from the Lake Victoria North Water Service Board who were nabbed in Nandi and Kakamega counties, namely, Isaac Kiptanui Ruto (Former Water Provision Officer), and Jared Ouma Okungu (Infrastructure Development Officer).
EACC launched its investigation after learning that the tender for the stated sum had allegedly been issued to Mactebac Contractors Limited.
However, the company was found incapable of carrying out the project.
According to a commission report, the investigation found that Mactebac Contractors Limited Director Joram Opala Otieno submitted fraudulent paperwork in order to win the award.
“The members of the Technical Evaluation Committee failed to do due diligence and hence failed to validate and verify the qualifications of Mactebac Contractors, who had submitted the lowest graded responding tender,” the report stated.
The commission then presented its findings to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which recommended that the suspects be arrested and charged.
The six are presently being held at EACC’s Bungoma Regional Office pending arraignment on Thursday.
They face various charges among them; wilful failure to comply with the law and regulations relating to procurement, neglect of official duty by a public officer, and fraudulent practice in procurement.
