West Pokot County Officials Arrested for Embezzling Ksh.296M in Bursary Funds
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has apprehended two former top officials from the West Pokot County Government over the alleged misappropriation of Ksh.296 million in bursary funds.
These arrests stem from an investigation into claims of corruption involving the siphoning of public money that was intended to support disadvantaged students in the county.
According to EACC reports, the mismanagement occurred between the fiscal years of 2017/2018 and 2021/2022.
Those arrested are identified as Ms. Mary Ngoriakes, the former Chief Officer of Education, and Mr. Mathew Arusio, the former County Director of Bursary.
The duo was taken into custody early Monday and is currently being held at the EACC North Rift Regional Offices in Eldoret for processing.
Following the process, they will be transferred to Eldoret Central Police Station, where they will remain until their court appearance at the Eldoret Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday, September 24, 2024, at 9:00 a.m.
The investigation was initiated after the EACC received a complaint accusing senior officials within the West Pokot County Government of orchestrating a scheme to embezzle money from the County Bursary, Education, and Infrastructure Fund.
Initially, the officials were suspected of stealing KES 212 million, but subsequent investigations revealed the full stolen amount to be KES 296 million.
These funds were specifically allocated to provide financial support to students from low-income families in the county.
Investigations also uncovered that the County Bursary, Education Development, and Infrastructure Committee (CBC), which was supposed to oversee the distribution of bursary funds, was never properly formed.
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Despite this, several county officials impersonated CBC members and engaged in illegal activities, such as unauthorized cash withdrawals.
These officials also created falsified minutes for meetings that never took place to justify their fraudulent actions.
Upon concluding the investigation, the EACC submitted a report to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who concurred with the recommendation to prosecute four suspects on various charges.
The charges include conspiracy to commit corruption, failure to adhere to public fund management protocols, abuse of office, fraudulent acquisition of public property, and forgery of accounting records.
Additionally, the suspects face charges of creating and endorsing illegal contracts under the Public Procurement and Disposal Act of 2015, as well as fabricating and issuing false documents in violation of the Penal Code.
While two suspects are now in custody, the EACC has instructed the remaining two, Mr. Simon Kodomuk, former Chief Officer of Education, and Mr. Francil Tikol, former Assistant County Director of Bursary, to report to the EACC North Rift Regional Offices in Eldoret by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 24, 2024.
The two are currently believed to be in hiding, and failure to surrender will lead to further legal repercussions.
The EACC has reiterated its commitment to tackling corruption, particularly in cases where public resources intended for vulnerable groups, such as students, are diverted. This case is part of a broader initiative to combat corruption within county governments, as the commission continues its efforts to recover stolen funds and hold public officials accountable for their mismanagement.
West Pokot County Officials Arrested for Embezzling Ksh.296M in Bursary Funds
