Samburu County Governor has been barred by the High court from transferring or disposing four properties pending investigations by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Governor Moses Lenolkulal Kasaine and his company OLYX Service Station have been restrained from transferring lands, LR NO. 2259/744, LR NO. 2259/745, LR NO. 2259/749 and LR NO. 2259/750 situated in Nairobi.
In a certificate of urgency, EACC has established by that the County government of Samburu awarded OLYX a contract to supply diesel/petrol to it from the year 2014 to 2019.
“The Governor, being a public officer under the definition of the public officer ethics Act, in complete violation of his position and in conflict of his personal and public interest has been trading with the county government through his company,” said the commission.
Offenses
The commission said it is investigating allegations of corruption and economic crimes, bribery, conflict of interest amongst contractors and officials of the County Government of Samburu where 1.6 billion has been embezzled between 1st January 2013 and 31st December 2018.
It is alleged that officials in the Samburu County government, in complete violation of their positions and in conflict of their personal and public interest have been trading with the county government through their companies or private contractors.
It is further alleged that the officials are engaged in a fraudulent schemes to embezzle public funds through inflated or fictitious procurement contracts.
The court heard that EACC is investigating allegations that within 2013 and 2018, several companies that tendered or were awarded high value contracts by the county government to provide it with goods and services are associated with county employees who are public officers resulting in a conflict of interest and about Sh 673 million being paid by the county to the said companies.
The commission added that it received allegations that senior officials from the county government received bribes to the tune of 86 million from several contractors and suppliers in order to influence award of tenders in their favour and to facilitate payment to the said contractors.
According to the investigators, Kasaine purchased the four lands located in Karen at Sh 15 million each on 8th July 2015.
They suspect that the lands may have been purchased using public funds or illicit wealth which is amenable to forfeiture to the State.
