Four former Homa Bay County officials have been arrested in connection with alleged procurement irregularities involving KSh348 million, as investigations into corruption at the county government deepen.
The arrests were carried out on January 16 by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) following directions from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
EACC confirmed that those arrested include the former Clerk of the Homa Bay County Assembly, a former Quantity Surveyor and Project Manager attached to the Ministry of Public Works in Nairobi, the Director of Hartland Enterprises Limited, and the director’s wife.
The arrests come after the ODPP directed that seven former Homa Bay County officials and two company directors be charged over alleged irregularities linked to the construction of the Homa Bay County Assembly office block.
According to investigators, officials at the county assembly awarded a tender to Hartland Enterprises Limited, a company allegedly linked to serving county employees, in violation of public procurement laws.
“Investigations revealed that the former Clerk of the Homa Bay County Assembly, alongside five other senior county officials, were involved in irregular procurement processes during the award of Tender No. HBCA/T/W6/2018–2019 for the proposed construction of the Homa Bay County Assembly office block,” the ODPP said in a statement.
The alleged offences include conflict of interest, abuse of office, and breaches of procurement regulations. Prosecutors say the officials used their positions to unlawfully award government tenders to themselves or entities connected to them, shutting out the public and legitimate bidders.
Other charges facing the suspects include fraudulent acquisition of public property, contrary to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act of 2003.
EACC has urged the remaining suspects named in the case to surrender at Homa Bay Police Station or any EACC office, warning that failure to cooperate could result in further legal action.
The case is part of a wider web of alleged corruption within Homa Bay County, where senior officials are accused of orchestrating payments worth over KSh200 million for non-existent road projects. Investigators say signatures of former county officers, including the Chief Officer for Finance and the Director of Procurement, were allegedly forged to authorise fraudulent payments.
Funds meant for legitimate contractors were reportedly diverted to shell companies and proxies linked to county officials. In some projects, costs were allegedly inflated without justification. For instance, the Homa Bay County Headquarters project is said to have ballooned from an estimated KSh480 million to about KSh920 million.
Several senior officials in the Finance, Procurement, Roads and Public Works departments have been implicated, alongside private firms such as TCHAVEK Enterprise Ltd and LETHI Company Ltd, which investigators say were used to channel misappropriated funds.
The ODPP said the prosecutions reflect its commitment to upholding the rule of law and safeguarding public resources, stressing that no individual would be shielded from accountability.
“No one, regardless of position, is above the law when public funds are misused,” the prosecution office said.