Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri is under probe over Ksh1.8 billion expenditure within his ministry, the People Daily on Friday, September 13 reported.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission confirmed that it had opened an investigation into the expenditure after claims emerged that the Ministry of Agriculture officials authorised the expenditure without the approval of the Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund.
The CS, however, denied the allegations when he appeared before the National Assembly in the past and stated that the payment was legal and was done after a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta who ordered them to clear pending bills to various organisations.
Reports further indicate that the money was withdrawn from the accounts of the Trust Fund at the Central Bank and paid to a private company, Commodity House Limited.
"The ministry has so far explained there was no budget or funds for the importation of maize during the financial year 2018/19, therefore, they do not have documents to back their argument," Twalib Mbarak, EACC Chief Executive disclosed on Thursday, September 12.
While tracking the payment, the sleuths found out that Ksh2 billion was paid to the private company on June 25, 2019, from CBK's Strategic Bank Reserve Account. Ksh1.8 billion was then reversed back to a bank in Mombasa on June 28.
Kiunjuri is alleged to have authorised the payment.
However, Strategic Food Reserve Board chairman, Noah Wekesa, differed stating that the Ksh1.8 billion was part of Ksh12 billion meant to clear debts owed to maize farmers.
The CS has recently been on the spot over a Ksh100 million dam that collapsed.
The Daily Nation reported that the Karai Dam which was built by the National Irrigation Board and commissioned in April burst on September 4, sending panic among the residents of Mbuyu Sub-Location, Gwa Kung’u in Nyandarua County.
On September 6, 2019, The National Construction Authority suspended the repair and/or construction of the water pan until the chief engineer submitted an environmental impact assessment report.
