EACC extends Busia County graft probe to top Assembly officials

In a letter addressed to the Clerk of the Assembly and seen by Citizen Digital, the officials are accused of irregularities in a tender for the supply, installation, and commissioning of an E-Parliament System awarded to Optic Technologies during the 2023/2024 financial year.

Among the top officials being probed are Speaker Fredrick Wafula, who chairs the Assembly Service Board, and Clerk Caroline Omukitet, who serves as the board secretary.

“The Commission, pursuant to its constitutional and statutory mandate as set out in Article 252(1)(a) and (d) of the Constitution and Section 11 of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2011, is investigating allegations of abuse of office, procurement irregularities, and theft of public funds by members and senior staff of the County Assembly Service Board of Busia involving the tender for the supply, installation, and commissioning of an E-Parliament System awarded to Optic Technologies during the financial year 2023/2024,” the letter states.

To facilitate the investigations, the Commission has demanded original documents, including the County Assembly procurement plan and budget for 2023/2024, conflict-of-interest registers, tender documents, evaluation reports, payment vouchers, IFMIS reports, and bank details of the successful bidder.

The documents are to be handed over to EACC officers by September 2, 2025.

This fresh investigation follows a recent operation conducted earlier this month, in which the Commission raided the residences and offices of Busia County Executive Committee (CEC) members and other senior county officials in relation to unexplained wealth and conflict of interest involving tenders worth Ksh.1.4 billion.

During the August 6 raid, EACC detectives arrested three CEC members: Topister Nyati Wanyama, Peter Odima, and Paul Olung’a; Chief Officer for Finance Gypson Wafula; and two directors, Leonard Omacha (Supply Chain Management) and Evans Wandera (Budget).

At the same time, Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has piled pressure on the Commission to act on financial impropriety in the county executive.

In a letter addressed to EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud on Thursday, Omtatah cited an audit query revealing that over Ksh.5.2 billion could not be accounted for in the Busia County Executive for the 2022/2023 financial year.

“There is a need for your Commission to urgently and thoroughly investigate the unaccounted-for funds in order to safeguard public resources and hold those responsible to account,” Omtatah said in a section of his letter.

"The conduct of the said officials amounts to gross financial mismanagement and possible criminal offences under the Penal Code, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and other applicable laws."