Officers from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) have arrested Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok.
Barchok's arrest follows pressure from various quarters, including local legislators, who have been vocal about plausible corruption within the county's administration.
According to insider reports to Kenyans.co.ke, EACC officers stormed into the governor's house as they tried to locate documents related to fraudulent activities in the county.
Following the arrest, the governor is set to record a statement at EACC South Rift Regional Offices in Nakuru.
Led by Senator Hillary Sigei, a group of leaders drawn from Bomet called for Barchok to be charged over the misappropriation of funds in November 2024.
The legislatures singled out a case of mismanagement of various hospitals that allegedly led to the death of a three-year-old patient due to negligence at Longisa Hospital.
Following the numerous cases of corruption, the county legislatures urged the EACC to take action against the governor and county executive officers.
The EACC then launched investigations into the misuse of Ksh373 million in public funds. The probe focused on accusations of theft, conflict of interest, and procurement fraud related to the acquisition of heavy road construction equipment and trucks.
To aid in the investigations, the EACC asked for a variety of financial and procurement documents from the county secretary.
“Kindly provide us with the following original documents: approved budget for FY 2022/2023 and 2023/2024; approved procurement plan for FY 2022/2023 and 2023/2024; procurement requisition; approved memo-seeking approval advertisement,” stated EACC South Rift Regional Manager Ignatius Wekesa in a letter dated July 30.
The investigation revealed that senior officials were involved in orchestrating the fraudulent activities, and EACC arrested 18 county officials from Bomet.
As plans to ensure that all misused and embezzled funds are returned, EACC has taken the governor in for more investigations.
