Kitui County Chief Officer arrested for hiring relatives, awarding them Ksh.17M contracts

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested Kitui County Chief Officer and five company directors over allegations of conflict of interest and contract irregularities worth Ksh.17.4 million. 

In a statement by the Commission’s Chief Executive Officer, Abdi Mohamud, Kitui’s Chief Officer in the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries, Gladys Mami Kivoto, was accused of hiring relatives to manage five proxy companies, which were used to illegally trade with the County. 

The companies namely Shanel Construction Company Ltd, ECO Stone Company Limited, AZ Links Company Ltd, DTK Construction Company Ltd, and 4-Walls Company Ltd were allegedly paid Ksh.14 million by the County between the 2018/2019 and 2024/2025 Financial Years.

“The investigations further revealed that Ms. Josephine Mwikali Wambua, Director of Shanel Construction Company Ltd; Makoma Wambua, Director of AZ Links Company Ltd; and Emmanuel Wambua, Director of ECO Stone Company Limited are close relatives of Ms. Kivoto,” the statement read in part. 

“Additionally, numerous financial transactions showed flows of funds between Ms. Kivoto and the directors of DTK Construction Company Limited and 4-Walls Company Limited.”

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Upon conclusion of the investigations, the file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved the prosecution of nine suspects on various charges, including conflict of interest, abuse of office, money laundering, acquisition of proceeds of crime, and engaging in corrupt procurement practices.

This led to the arrest of the six suspects including Kivoto, Wambua, Kilonzi, Mary Mueni Mbiti (Director, DTK Construction Company), Jonathan Kivondo Kieti (Director, DTK Construction Company Ltd) and Onesmus Munyao Nzioka (Director, ECO Stone Company Limited). 

EACC instructed the three suspects, who remain at large, to surrender to the Commission’s Lower Eastern Regional Office in Machakos or the nearest EACC office for processing. These are Makoma Wambua (Director, ECO Stone Company Ltd), Emmanuel Wambua and Stella Nthenya Kioko (Directors at AZ Links Company Ltd). 

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