DCI to Investigates ICT CS Joe Mucheru Over Ksh2.5 Billion Debt to Media

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji instructed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives to conduct investigations at the Ministry of ICT.

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru raised suspicions after claiming that Ksh2.5 Billion owed to media for advertisements had not been disbursed by the Treasury.

DPP Haji instructed the George Kinoti-team to investigate further claims that suggested the billions had been spent on 2017 election campaigns.

Sources within the ministry spoke to Daily Nation and conveyed that those who might have been involved in the alleged misappropriation have begun covering their tracks.

[caption caption="ICT CS Joe Mucheru speaks during a past meeting with the Senate ICT Committee"][/caption]

"There is a lot of panic and possible destruction of potential evidence by some key players in the looting spree.

"Maybe the detectives should insist on their taking compulsory leave for the investigations to be credible," the source conveyed.

Seven detectives are said to be stationed at the Ministry's offices where they were tasked to peruse documents to ascertain that advertising services sought by the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) did not involve any political advertising.

According to Mucheru, however, the debt was accumulated due to unforeseen advertising including those of the Eurobond, urgent notices from the National Land Commission, Teachers Service Commission and the ministries of Devolution and Land.

GAA had signed an agreement for the MyGov advertising publication with Daily Nation, The Star, The Standard and People Daily where the government would pay the negotiated price of Ksh734,000 twice a month.

The media houses continue to await the final verdict on their unpaid dues even as a Tuesday meeting between the parties failed.

[caption caption="Poster of the government advertising publication MyGov"][/caption]