The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has seized assets worth Ksh.100 million belonging to an officer of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA), Kajiado County Office.
Esther Wanjiru Chege is suspected of fraudulently acquiring the assets, which include millions of shillings and 13 parcels of land spread across Kiambu, Nyandarua, Naivasha, Makueni, and Kajiado.
According to an EACC report released on Friday, Wanjiru is being investigated “for alleged conflict of interest, embezzlement of public funds, and unexplained wealth.”
The 13 title deeds were seized by the anti-graft body after the assets were frozen by the High Court in Machakos on July 19, 2022.
The court also ordered the freezing of Wanjiru’s Equity bank account, which held Ksh.3,295,271.
“That an order to freeze for six months account in the name Esther Wanjiru Chege, held at Equity Bank, Ridgeways Branch be and is hereby granted pending further investigations and or orders,” the Court said.
“EACC believes that the bank account is being used as a conduit for depositing and transferring proceeds of corruption at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority,” noted EACC.
Image: FILE
According to the EACC report, Wanjiru transacted Ksh.26,359,921 through the said bank account between January 2016 and May 2022.
“Currently, her net monthly salary is Kshs. 116,640,” added EACC.
Wanjiru and others are suspected of siphoning public funds through companies registered through proxies and relatives.
Robert Macharia Kimotho, her partner, is one of Wanjiru’s suspected accomplices.
“Together with her partner Robert Macharia Kimotho, they operate a school bank Account under the name St. Sharon Secondary School where money is sent from their company accounts to and before its transfer to their personal accounts and M-Pesa,” adds EACC.
According to KERRA, Wanjiru’s spouse/partner Mr Robert Macharia Kimotho, who is a Director of St. Sharon Secondary School in Nyandarua, received over Ksh.5 million from a company called M/s Rokays Enterprise Limited.
M/s Reswan Enterprises Limited, registered under James Chege Njoroge, Esther Wanjiru Chege’s brother, is said to have received approximately Ksh.20 million from KERRA.
Kaydtech Enterprises Limited, Reswan Holdings Limited, and Resro Holdings Limited are other companies where Wanjiru is registered as a bank account signatory and which have traded with KERRA and received payments.
EACC will seek forfeiture of any assets obtained through corruption by Wanjiru.
