EACC Arrests Nyamira County Assembly Clerk Over Alleged KSh30 Million Tender Scam as Anti-Graft Crackdown Intensifies
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested the Clerk of the Nyamira County Assembly, Duke Simeon Onyari, in connection with an alleged KSh30 million procurement scandal linked to the construction of the county assembly’s office block.
The arrest marks the latest development in an ongoing anti-corruption probe that has placed several county officials under scrutiny over the handling of public funds.
According to the EACC, investigations revealed alleged irregularities in the award of a construction tender between May and June 2018, with officials accused of violating procurement procedures during the selection process.
Investigators claim that the contract was awarded to a company that was not the lowest evaluated bidder, contrary to procurement regulations. As a result, the firm is said to have received an undue financial benefit amounting to KSh30,187,396.
“The investigations established that the procurement process was irregularly conducted, leading to the unlawful award of the tender and subsequent loss of public funds,” the anti-graft agency said.
Onyari is among seven current and former Nyamira County Assembly officials facing prosecution before the Anti-Corruption Court over the alleged manipulation of the tendering process.
Those named in the case include members of the assembly’s tender committee, among them the procurement director, legal officer and human resources director. One of the officials linked to the matter died in 2019.
The suspects had earlier moved to the High Court in Nyamira seeking anticipatory bail to shield themselves from arrest and prosecution. However, the application was dismissed, paving the way for investigators to proceed with criminal action.
Court records indicate that arrest warrants were subsequently issued by the Keroka Law Courts after the accused persons failed to appear for their scheduled plea-taking on March 19.
The accused are expected to answer to five criminal charges, including abuse of office, willful failure to comply with laws governing the management of public funds, and neglect of official duty.
The latest arrest comes as the EACC intensifies efforts to pursue corruption cases involving public institutions across the country.
Only days ago, the commission secured a significant victory after an anti-corruption court in Malindi sentenced ten individuals and companies to a combined 75 years in prison over the fraudulent payment of KSh51.5 million in Kilifi County funds.
The anti-graft agency has indicated that investigations remain active and that additional suspects linked to the Nyamira case could face prosecution as efforts to recover lost public funds continue.
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