EACC exposes fresh Ksh. 4.8B scandal at prisons department

​Money did not leave but the contract had been signed. So it was by sheer luck that the money had not been released...

​The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says it has foiled an attempted misuse of Ksh.4.8 billion of taxpayers’ money at the prisons department.
EACC boss Twalib Mbarak says the department was to pay Ksh.4.8 billion upfront for the supply of security items.

​Mr. Mbarak says the Ksh.4.8 billion contract was unprocedurally approved, flouting procurement rules by committing payments of 80 per cent upfront within 30 days before supply of the items.

“Money did not leave but the contract had been signed. So it was by sheer luck that the money had not been released because the contract says upon signing payment should be done within 30 days,” said Mr. Mbarak.
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The contract details show that there was to be the supply of machine guns at a cost of Ksh.478 million.
In the assorted contracts, one company was awarded the tender to supply bullet proof vests, at a cost of Ksh.2.2 billion and the payments were stopped when they were just about to leave the ministry’s account to the companies.

​Procurement of g3 rifles is also in question, with the prisons approving a questionable payment of Ksh.597 million for the same.

In the foiled payments, Ksh.342 million was to be paid for the supply of full target rifles, a contract that EACC flagged.
Pistols worth Ksh.158 million were also to be supplied through payments to what the EACC calls questionable entities.
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A bigger shocker was the intended supply of rifle slings, at a cost Ksh.200 million in which EACC says prices were exaggerated from Ksh.200 to Ksh.5,000 a piece.
An additional Ksh.242 million was to be paid to unspecified entities. The payments had not been budgeted for according to EACC.

The anti-graft body is now investigating at least eight individuals among them former and current principal secretaries at the Interior Ministry as well as a top politician in connection with the matter.

​By Stephen Letoo For Citizen Digital

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