The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has launched investigations into alleged massive revenue diversion within Nairobi City County’s parking department, a move that could expose one of the biggest scandals in recent years.
According to sources familiar with the probe, Parking Director Steve Ogesa is at the center of the storm, with investigators said to be pursuing leads provided by concerned citizens.
Preliminary estimates suggest that as much as KSh 8.5 million could be lost daily through underhand dealings involving parking fees. The funds, which should be flowing into county coffers to support essential services, are allegedly being diverted into private pockets.
The development comes only days after Nairobi MCAs raised concerns about glaring loopholes in the county’s revenue collection systems, particularly in departments that handle cash transactions.
EACC detectives are said to be piecing together information on an elaborate network involving enforcement officers allegedly linked to senior county officials. Insiders claim the scheme is run with military-like precision, with well-trained personnel managing the diversion of funds away from official channels.
While the Commission has not released an official statement, sources indicate that Governor Johnson Sakaja’s aides have also been mentioned in connection to the scheme, though no formal charges have been brought forward.
City residents, many of whom pay daily parking fees in good faith, expressed anger at the revelations.
“This is money that should be fixing roads, improving drainage, or paying health workers. If it’s true this money is being pocketed, then Nairobians are being robbed twice — first through taxes, and again through corruption,” said a resident motorist interviewed in the CBD.The probe is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with Ogesa and senior county officials likely to be summoned for questioning.
For now, Nairobians wait to see whether this investigation will finally bring accountability to a sector that has long been viewed as one of the county’s biggest cash cows — and one of its weakest links in the fight against corruption.
