Nairobi County Faces Heat Over Ksh.313M Street Lights Fraud: EACC Investigation
Nairobi County government is under scrutiny for irregularly awarding tenders to eight companies for street lighting materials, costing Ksh.313 million for the Financial Year 2022/2023.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) disclosed this issue in its quarterly report, which includes documents sent to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) from April 1, 2024, to June 30, 2024.
The commission noted that the tender was advertised and the contracts were granted to the eight companies on the same day, breaching the 14-day waiting period required by public procurement regulations.
“It was also established that the LPOs were signed and issued out to the Suppliers without a preceding acceptance of the awards, in violation of the public procurement laws,” read part of the report.
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The contracts were executed without the required oversight of an accounting officer, who is responsible for evaluating the quality of Local Purchasing Order (LPO) agreements.
On June 3, 2024, the commission submitted the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), proposing 14 charges against individuals involved in the procurement process.
The proposed charges include six allegations of corrupt practices within procurement, two charges of deliberate non-compliance with legal requirements, and one accusation of submitting false documents.
Additionally, the charges involve two counts of forgery, one instance of financial misconduct, neglect of official duties, and conspiracy to commit corruption.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended that the signed contract be annulled and that disciplinary measures be pursued against the implicated parties.
On July 26, 2024, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) returned the file, advising that administrative action should be taken against the suspects.
Nairobi County Faces Heat Over Ksh.313M Street Lights Fraud: EACC Investigation
