A Turkana County Government nurse, a supplier company and its director are set to face fraud-related charges over the alleged irregular acquisition of Ksh2.76 million from a county government tender.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) approved the charges following investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which arrested the suspects on Wednesday, October 14.
According to the prosecution, the nurse allegedly used a company in which he served as a director to secure a contract from the county government and receive payments between July 2020 and 2021.
Investigators allege that after the company received the money, the funds were withdrawn in cash in an attempt to conceal their source.
The main reason behind the case is the fact that the nurse allegedly misused his authority in the county government to affect the decision making in awarding the tender to the company he was affiliated with.
It is expected that the nurse will be charged with fraud, conflict of interest and money laundering. Similarly, the company and its director will be charged for the acquisition of the funds and laundering of the same.
This particular case highlights the continuous efforts made by the anti-corruption authorities to hold the public officials accountable for such dealings involving government contracts and public money.
According to the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, public officials are prohibited from engaging themselves in any business transactions with the government, which may cause conflict with their professional roles. Moreover, the law does not allow the officials to use their positions to affect the government tenders.
Further, the law limits the external employment of the officials if it conflicts with their professional roles. Likewise, the law prevents public officials from accepting gifts and favors from any source.
After the arrests, the EACC urged all the state agencies and public institutions to ensure strict adherence to the law through measures to identify, declare and manage conflicts of interest among public officers.
The suspects will face the charges approved by the ODPP as the legal process moves forward. The allegations have not been proven in court.