The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has intensified its war against corruption after arresting eleven suspects linked to the alleged embezzlement of more than Sh85 million from the Eldama Ravine National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
In a major anti-graft operation announced on Thursday, the Commission said the suspects include senior NG-CDF officials, accountants, clerks and public officers accused of orchestrating a sophisticated scheme that siphoned public funds meant for development projects in Eldama Ravine Constituency.
According to investigators, the alleged fraud occurred between the 2018/2019 and 2020/2021 financial years, during which the constituency reportedly received over Sh369 million from the NG-CDF Board for various development programmes.
However, investigations established that although only about Sh11.5 million had been budgeted for Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) activities, a staggering Sh85 million was irregularly withdrawn in cash from the NG-CDF account under the guise of M&E expenditure.
The alleged loss of funds is said to have crippled several development projects within the constituency, raising fresh concerns over accountability and misuse of taxpayer money in devolved development programmes.
Among those arrested are Fund Account Manager Geoffrey Koech, NG-CDF Chairman Joseph Kibor Aiyabei, ICT Officer Stephen Kipyegon Bundotich, and several accounts clerks and treasury officials attached to Eldama Ravine and Koibatek Sub-County offices.
The suspects were escorted to the EACC South Rift Regional Office in Nakuru for processing ahead of their arraignment in court.
The anti-graft agency said the suspects are expected to face multiple charges, including abuse of office, conspiracy to commit an economic crime, fraudulent acquisition of public property, false accounting by a public officer, negligence of official duty and failure to comply with laws governing management of public funds.
Meanwhile, the Commission has issued a public appeal to two remaining suspects — former Koibatek Sub-County Accountant Solomon Mwaura Kiratu and former NG-CDF Committee Secretary Ann Mwihaki Mwangi — to surrender themselves at the nearest EACC office.
The latest arrests underscore the government’s renewed push to crack down on corruption and recover stolen public resources amid growing public outrage over stalled development projects and misuse of constituency funds.
Analysts say the Eldama Ravine scandal could become one of the most significant NG-CDF corruption cases in recent years if prosecutors secure convictions against the accused officials.
The EACC reiterated that no public officer will be spared in the ongoing anti-corruption purge, warning that misuse of public resources denies ordinary wananchi access to critical services and infrastructure.
