Anti-graft agency pursuing Sh21b stolen public assets
Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is pursuing more than Sh21.6 billion worth of public assets, including land and money believed to have been grabbed from national and county governments by public officials.
Revelations came even as President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday called for concerted efforts to scale up the war against corruption, saying the country cannot afford to rest on its laurels until the vice is eradicated.
“We must all work together, that is, all arms of government, the business community, media, religious institutions, non-governmental organisations and ordinary Kenyans to fight this noble war. We must raise the bar even higher if we are serious about the Sustainable Development Goals and our very own Vision 2030,” Uhuru said.
Uhuru spoke at State House, Nairobi, when he witnessed the ceremonial handing over of Sh450 million repatriated to Kenya from Jersey island following the conviction of Windward Trading Limited for money laundering.
International space
The Sh450 million had been stolen by Samuel Gichuru, a former boss of Kenya Power and one-time Finance Minister Chris Okemo, who was accused of taking kickbacks from British, Norwegian and German engineering firms, as well as a US communications giant, which they sent to a Jersey-registered company.
British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriot, who attended the State House ceremony, pledged her country’s continued support to Kenya in the recovery of illegally acquired assets stashed abroad.
“The Framework for the Return of Assets from Crime and Corruption signed on March 28 sends a clear signal to those who wish to steal from the State that they will ultimately not succeed. It provides a framework for future recovery of assets in international space,” the envoy said.
During the meeting, EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak revealed that in the last 10 years, the commission had recovered corruptly acquired assets in cash, movable and immovable assets valued at approximately Sh23.2 billion in cases that have seen some former powerful government officials convicted.
He said his officers were pursuing 357 civil cases filed in various courts across the country seeking to recover public assets valued at approximately Sh14 billion.
Twalib said EACC is pursuing in court forfeiture of unexplained wealth valued at approximately Sh7.6 billion from persons alleged to own assets disproportionate to their known legitimate sources of income.
Among the recovered properties handed over back to the government, institutions included 14 properties valued at approximately Sh603 million, a parcel of land measuring approx. 227.9 Ha belonging to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) valued at approximately Sh2 billion.
Also handed back was a parcel of land measuring approx. 69.2 Ha belonging to Kenya Railways Corporation valued at approximately Sh2 billion and three properties registered in favour of County Government of Uasin Gishu valued at approximately Sh570 million, 14 properties registered in favour of County Government of Kisii valued at approximately Sh64 million and a piece of land registered in favour of County Government of Nakuru valued at approximately Sh30 million.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has put in place elaborate strategies and policy framework to trace, preserve and recover public assets. Some of the asset recovery mechanisms that we are employing include; civil proceedings, use of alternative dispute resolutions and forfeiture of unexplained wealth,” Twalib said.
Anti-graft army
The President emphasised that although corruption has deep roots and its axis keeps on regrouping and fighting back, the government will not be swayed by naysayers or misdirected by those who relish negativity and resentment.
He commended EACC for the hard work that had resulted in the restitution of illegally acquired land titles back to their original public sector owners.
The EACC boss said the organisation had adopted new strategies to fight corruption. “Together with all the representative investigative, prosecutorial and oversight bodies present today who I describe as our ‘Anti-Corruption Army’, we continue to see the fruits of our collective labour to curtail corruption and minimise opportunities for its occurrence,” Twalib said.
Further, according to him, there are 24 other parcels of lands that have been recovered and are pending registration of title deeds at various stages worth approximately Sh6.1 billion.
Among the properties pending registration of titles is 21.04 Ha of land belonging to the Kenya Meteorological Department located in Nairobi’s Industrial Area valued at approximately Sh5 billion. The land is earmarked for the construction of affordable houses to benefit low-income citizens.
Besides successfully asking the court to have former public officials and tenderpreneurs forfeit ill-gotten wealth, the commission is currently pursuing multibillion-shilling assets linked to former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria, Okoth Obado (Migori) and Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu), all of who are facing corruption charges in court.
