A cleaner from the State Department of Correctional Services, Eric Kipkirui Mutai, is under investigation for allegedly receiving Ksh.257 million through proxy companies during the financial years 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Mutai was listed as the director of seven companies—Homex Logistics, Hygienic Ventures, Nerimas General Agencies, Trechris Services, Unique Supplies, Facton Logistics, and White Unicorn Logistics—that were contracted to supply goods to various prisons in Nairobi.
EACC’s investigation revealed that the payment vouchers from these companies were fraudulent, indicating that the companies did not provide the purported food supplies to the prisons.
The delivery notes lacked the required name of the receiving officer, and no local purchase orders, inspection, or acceptance certificates were found. Additionally, the deliveries listed in the vouchers were not recorded in the prison’s books, and payments were not entered in the prison’s vote book.
Mutai, who has worked as a cleaner at the prisons department for seven years, is among 13 suspects implicated in the embezzlement of Ksh.450 million from the Prisons Department.
On Thursday, five suspects, including Mutai, were arrested: Sarah Kemunto (Chief Finance Officer), Moses Juma Sirengo (Principal Accountant), Jack Nyariango Ogao (Accountant), and Maureen Ndungwa (Director of one of the involved companies).
Following the scandal, Mutai reportedly lived a lavish lifestyle, acquiring seven cars, a piece of land, and a house in Nairobi worth Ksh.17.5 million. These assets were frozen by a High Court ruling in 2022 pending the case’s hearing.
The five suspects are scheduled to appear before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court on Friday, July 19. The EACC has also instructed the remaining eight suspects to report to the nearest EACC office by Friday.
