Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has been arrested. This comes after a raid by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on his homes and offices on Tuesday, April 15, over allegations of embezzlement.
Nine other senior county officials also had their premises searched in the raid over suspected embezzlement of public funds and conflict of interest.
Advertisement
The ongoing investigation into the 10 public officials is centered around allegations of financial and procurement malpractices within the county government.
According to the EACC, the probe centres on suspected conflict of interest, procurement irregularities, and abuse of office by senior county officials in the awarding of a Ksh 230 million contract to M/s Filtronic International Limited.
Advertisement
The contract, issued during the 2022/2023 financial year, was for the supply, delivery, installation, testing, training, commissioning, and support services of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi Arrested After EACC Raid
The integrity watchdog also revealed that county officials engaged in trading with the county and received payments amounting to Ksh 1.5 billion through irregular procurement processes and fictitious supplies, a blatant violation of public finance management and procurement laws.
Advertisement
The operation resulted in the recovery of critical evidentiary material to support ongoing investigations. This includes the seizure of Ksh 12 million and USD 13,000 (Ksh 1.677 million) in cash from the residence of Governor Kimani Wamatangi which is suspected to be proceeds of corruption.
This comes after months of mounting pressure from local political leaders, who have been demanding a thorough inquiry into the administration of the current governor, who succeeded the impeached Governor Ferdinand Waititu.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Wa Thang’wa, raised red flags in February 2024 when he revealed a sudden and unexplained switch in the county’s payroll system—from an automated system to a manual one.
Also Read: UDA Governor Barchok Found Operating Bomet Municipality Illegally
According to Senator Thang’wa, this transition created an opportunity for fraud, allowing for the theft of an estimated Sh390 million through the inclusion of ghost workers on the payroll.
“The reversion to a manual payroll system, under the guise of technical issues, has created the perfect environment for theft. Suspected ghost workers have received over Sh390 million in fraudulent payments,” Thang’wa said then.
Allegations Against the Governor
Thang’wa, further claimed that at least 15 officers in the county had amassed over Ksh 500 million through the scheme, while over 200 individuals had been hired unlawfully under fraudulent contracts.
He called on the EACC to act urgently. “I urge the EACC to act swiftly and decisively in halting this plunder of public resources and bringing those responsible to justice,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah and Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, on November 27, 2024, demanded that both the EACC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) step in to investigate Wamatangi.
Also Read: Former Speaker Arrested Over Appointment of His Niece to Govt Job
The lawmakers referenced a report by the Auditor General, which highlighted several discrepancies in the county’s expenditure.
The report revealed that Kiambu County had purchased 60,000 one-month-old chicks for Ksh18 million, yet only 22,500 chicks were delivered despite full payment.
Additionally, Ksh81.8 million was spent on certified seeds, breeding stock, and live animals.
“I want the DCI and EACC to read the auditor general’s report and investigate what happened. Whether you are an MCA or a governor, your days are numbered, and in Kiambu County, the days have finally come. Let EACC and DCI take the report, do investigations, and arrest people,” Ichung’wah said.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
