- EACC CEO warns officials misusing public funds, cites ongoing case involving ex-Cabinet Secretary
- High-profile cases include irregularities in Utalii College, National Museums, and Turkana Wind Power
- EACC monitors Cabinet members’ lifestyles; Mbarak confident in combating corruption challenges
Twalib Mbarak, the CEO of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), issued a stern warning to senior government officials misappropriating public funds, stating they will eventually be caught up with.
EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak
Mbarak disclosed ongoing high-profile cases, one involving former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala over the irregular procurement and payment of Ksh.8.5 billion for the proposed Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Vipingo.
“The amount of money the college was allocated was about Ksh.2 billion, but ended up being about Ksh.8 billion. Right now if you go to that site, it is a very sad story. You have a very big college under construction but it is stuck,” Mbarak emphasized.
He revealed, “This case has got two phases, case one is about the consultancy and there is the construction part of it which we are yet to finish the file, and there will be a second case coming on the same matter and it will hit on the same people. This is one of the sad stories of this country where a big grand project has stalled because of corruption.”
Mbarak also disclosed cases involving alleged embezzlement at the National Museums of Kenya and the Lake Turkana Wind Power project, with files forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
“We have very good files that are with the DPP where, for instance, we have a case of the National Museums of Kenya where the former head Mzalendo Kibunja and his group are accused of misusing millions of shillings through fictitious ghost workers,” he stated.
“We have a file on the Turkana Wind Power where billions were lost and another file on about Ksh.400 million lost elsewhere.”
Mbarak also mentioned the EACC’s monitoring of the changing lifestyles of current Cabinet members, citing some with sudden and inexplicable lifestyle changes as red flags for the anti-corruption watchdog.
“When you are a PS, a CS or when you are heading a very big organization, you are under our radar. You belong to those we call highly exposed political persons. Unapata mtu sasa anavaa saa ya Ksh.10 million and before that he/she hakuna kitu alikuwa anavaa, alikuwa na Casio. Those are now red flags that the person is doing something,” he remarked.
Speaking about his military background, Mbarak asserted, “I was in the army for 15 years, do you think I am a person who can get scared? I have seen lions in the bush; I have seen death in the course of my training in the military. So who is a civilian to scare me?”
“When I know I’m right, I don’t get scared of civilians. When someone tells you they’re going to kill you, just know that the guy is a fool.”
Despite acknowledging the challenging nature of the fight against corruption, Mbarak expressed confidence in the EACC’s capacity to restore public dignity, stating, “Fighting corruption is like guerrilla warfare, you are not fighting a conventional warfare whereby the enemy is in uniform and you can tell that that is the enemy. So if today you are a minister and you believe you can operate on impunity, do it, but one day the EACC will catch up with you. Don’t think you are there at the top and you can operate on impunity, this country is governed by laws.”
