The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has exposed graft in three key ministries amounting to Kshs18 billion.
EACC, which is led by retired Bishop Eliud Wabukala, revealed that it was investigating text books procurement to public schools worth Kshs10 billion from the Education Ministry.
The agency also revealed that it was investigating Kshs2.4 billion alleged graft in the Interior Ministry headed by CS Fred Matiang’i over the alleged fraudulent acquisition of houses.
EACC has also turned its guns towards CS Henry Rotich’s Treasury Ministry after alleged embezzlement of Kshs5.6 billion through its e-Citizen platform.
In a report from the agency, the three cases were among 1,510 others that were being investigated by the Wabukala-led commission.
This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta sent out a stern warning to high-level officials promising that action would be taken against them.
“To those engaging in fraud and abuse of office, please listen to me keenly: You can run but you cannot hide. We will catch up with you, and make you pay dearly for every coin stolen from Kenyans,” stated the President.
Suspects in the textbooks saga are yet to be identified.
Matiang’i, back in January, decided to supply the books directly to schools in an attempt to cut back on more than Kshs13 billion spent during the previous model.
The model included the state wiring the money directly to schools which would then plan to acquire their own books. The model cost the taxpayers Kshs21.4 billion.
In the e-Citizen probe, the graft was unearthed after the realisation that a private entity collected the funds but never remitted them to the state.
Before the realisation, more than Kshs5.6 billion had already been lost.
