Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Thursday directed the suspension of six Chief Executive Officers for alleged involvement in corruption and procurement irregularities within their respective institutions.
In a statement released by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, the EACC has written to several Cabinet Secretaries recommending suspension of officers involved in graft.
“The directives follow recommendations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for the suspension of the officers, who are currently under investigation,” the statement reads in part.
Koskei states that EACC has written to the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Water, Sanitation, and Irrigation, Zachariah Njeru, recommending the suspension of Eng. Fredrick Mwamati, the CEO of the Tanathi Water Works Development Agency.
Mwamati is under investigation for procurement irregularities in the award of a tender for the construction of a Leather Industrial Park Water Supply Project.
EACC has also written to the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Florence Bore, to suspend Stephen Ogenga, the Director-General of the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA), for alleged procurement irregularities in the award of a tender for supplies at NITA.
Similarly, the commission has written to the Board of the National Museums of Kenya to suspend Stanvas Ong’alo, the Acting Director-General, for alleged embezzlement of Ksh490 million through irregular payments.
In another letter to the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management, Moses Kuria, the EACC has recommended the suspension of Benjamin Kai Chilumo, the CEO of Huduma Centre Secretariat.
Chilumo is under investigation for corruption allegations when he served in the County Government of Kilifi as the Chief Finance Officer.
The graft agency has also written to the Cabinet Secretary for Gender, Culture, the Arts and Heritage, Aisha Jumwa, recommending the suspension of Peter Gitaa Koria, the CEO/GM of Bomas of Kenya, for allegations of procurement irregularities in supplies for the institution.
Additionally, the EACC has called for the suspension of Eng. Anthony Wamukota, the General Manager of Design & Construction at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Limited (KETRACO), for alleged procurement irregularities related to the construction contract of the 400KV Loiyangalani Power Project.
The commission has also written to the Director-General of KeRRA, Engineer Philemon Kandie, to suspend Esther Wanjiru Chege, an accountant at the institution, for alleged conflict of interest and possession of unexplained wealth.
“In these letters, the EACC states that the continued stay in office of the mentioned officers during the investigation will interfere with and undermine its work,” says Koskei
Furthermore, the EACC has asked the Inspector-General of Police, Japhet Koome, to suspend 67 police officers implicated in corruption-related malpractices.
