Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has blown the lid on what he describes as a colossal scheme to loot Sh2.3 trillion from public coffers through fictitious projects at the Kenya Railways Corporation.
Speaking after filing a complaint with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), Omtatah said his independent investigations and forensic audit had revealed a meticulously crafted plan to divert funds under the guise of railway development over the next two years.
“I stumbled on the fraud when I started examining the financing of a proposed railway line to Karen. On checking the books of Kenya Railways, I uncovered a massive scheme to steal Sh2.3 trillion,” Omtatah said.The Senator revealed that his audit established glaring discrepancies in the corporation’s accounts. In the 2022/2023 financial year alone, Sh5.2 billion could not be accounted for, raising serious questions about the integrity of Kenya Railways’ financial management.
“Even today, I was at the EACC to follow up with the Auditor-General. The goal is to ensure those culpable are brought to book and stolen assets recovered for the public,” he stated.According to Omtatah, the fraud was pieced together using documents sourced from the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), the Controller of Budget, and other government records, supported by expert fraud auditors. His report, he said, paints a clear picture of how taxpayers’ money is being siphoned through ghost projects and questionable financing models.
“This is a war. It took time to access the relevant documents, but I now have proof of how the scam was structured. The country cannot afford to lose trillions of shillings to fraudsters hiding in plain sight,” Omtatah warned.If proven, the alleged Sh2.3 trillion scandal would rank among the largest thefts of public funds in Kenya’s history, further straining public confidence in state corporations already tainted by corruption scandals.
Kenya Railways has not yet issued a response to the Senator’s claims.
