The Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Esther Ngari, risks arrest after failing to appear before the National Assembly’s Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives to answer to allegations of embezzlement and gross misuse of public funds.
The committee has now summoned Ngari to appear and explain the loss of Sh420 million at the state agency. Should she fail to honour the summons, she will be arrested and forcibly presented before the committee.
The lawmakers accuse the KEBS boss of playing a role in the mismanagement of funds at the bureau, in violation of Chapter 6 of the Constitution of Kenya on Leadership and Integrity. She is also alleged to have breached provisions of the Leadership and Integrity Act, the Public Officers Ethics Act, and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act of 2013.
The committee expressed outrage over Ngari’s absence at a morning’s session, terming it a show of contempt towards Parliament and the people of Kenya.The Sh420 million in question is believed to have been misappropriated under unclear circumstances, prompting the parliamentary watchdog to demand accountability from the agency’s top leadership.
Investigations are ongoing as pressure mounts on the KEBS management to provide clarity on the matter.
