Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has on January 16 arrested Homa Bay 4 former Homa Bay County officials following directives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) over alleged procurement irregularities worth Ksh 348M.
The commission confirmed to Kenyan.co.ke that the four individuals included the former Clerk of Homa Bay County Assembly, the former Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager from the Ministry of Public Works in Nairobi, the Director of Hartland Enterprises Ltd, and the Director’s wife.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) had earlier directed that seven former Homa Bay County officials and two company directors face charges over alleged procurement irregularities worth Ksh 348M.
According to the investigation conducted by the ODPP, officials from the county assembly awarded a tender to Hartland Enterprises Limited, a company that was found to be linked to county employees.
“Investigations revealed that the former Clerk of the Homa Bay County Assemblynalongside five other senior county officials, were allegedly involved in irregular procurement processes during the award of Tender No. HBCA/T/W6/2018-2019 for the proposed construction of the Homa Bay County Assembly office block.,” the ODPP stated.
The alleged irregularities involved conflicts of interest, abuse of office, and violations of Kenya’s procurement laws.
Additionally, they are said to have abused their positions in their offices by selfishly granting themselves government tenders instead of involving the public as required by the law. Other charges were fraudulent acquisition of public property under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act of 2003.
The EACC has called on the remaining suspects in the case to surrender at Homa Bay Police Station or at any EACC office. The commission urged them to cooperate with ongoing investigations as part of the legal process, emphasising that failure to comply could lead to further legal action.
The Homa Bay scandal was part of a broader pattern of alleged corruption in the county. Senior officials reportedly orchestrated Ksh 200 million payments for fictitious road projects that were never constructed, while forging the signatures of former county officers, including the Chief Officer for Finance and the Director of Procurement, to authorise fraudulent payments.
Funds that had been intended for legitimate contractors were allegedly diverted to shell companies and proxies controlled by county officials, and project costs were infiltrated, such as the Homa Bay County Headquarters, reportedly rose from an initial estimate of Ksh 480 million to roughly Ksh 920 million without clear justification.
High-ranking officials implicated in these wider schemes included the Chief Officer for Finance, the Director of Procurement, and several accountants within the Roads and Public Works departments, while private companies such as TCHAVEK Enterprise Ltd and LETHI Company Ltd were reportedly used to channel misappropriated funds.
The ODPP emphasised that its actions reflected a strong commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting public interest. It affirmed that pursuing the charges was part of its broader mandate to ensure the proper administration of justice, prevent abuse of legal processes, and hold public officials accountable for corruption.
The office reiterated that no individual, regardless of position, would be shielded from scrutiny when public resources were misused.
