The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended the prosecution of five officials from the Kitui County Government for corruption and economic crimes related to the misappropriation of COVID-19 funds during the tenure of former Governor Charity Ngilu. The officials are accused of diverting funds intended for pandemic relief to the Kitui County Textile Centre (KICOTEC).
It has also been revealed that the land on which KICOTEC is located does not legally belong to the county government but was forcibly taken from Syongila Youth Polytechnic. According to EACC, Ksh 500 million allocated to Kitui County for COVID-19 mitigation in the 2019-2020 financial year was misused, with part of the funds diverted to KICOTEC for the procurement of equipment.
The investigation found that the county government received Ksh 120 million and Ksh 300 million as conditional grants specifically meant for COVID-19 interventions. However, these funds were not used as required by the grant guidelines and were instead diverted for purposes unrelated to pandemic relief, leading to their misappropriation.
EACC’s findings stem from allegations made in 2019 regarding procurement irregularities and conflicts of interest in the establishment and operation of KICOTEC. Specifically, it was alleged that Trendy Links Ltd., a company owned by Charity Ngilu’s son, was improperly awarded the contract to run the facility in 2018.
In a statement, EACC noted: “The Commission completed investigations and forwarded the file to the Director of Public Prosecutions with recommendations to charge five county officials for various corruption and economic crimes.”
The revelations come even after senior officials from Syongila Youth Polytechnic, who had been summoned to testify before a Senate committee alongside Ngilu, recounted how they were subjected to harassment and intimidation to surrender the title deed for the land, enabling the construction of KICOTEC.
Current Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, along with former KICOTEC board members, the former Chief of Staff, and county executive members, were surprised to learn that Ksh 168.6 million allocated to KICOTEC over the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, and 2020/2021 financial years was not transferred as cash but was instead spent on equipment purchases, infrastructure development, and covering operational costs through the parent ministry.
