By The Weekly Vision Reporter
The Siaya County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Education, Dr Edgar Otumba, has landed in serious legal and political trouble after the Kisumu Employment and Labour Relations Court found him guilty of defrauding Maseno University by unlawfully receiving salaries while serving in the county government.
Delivering his ruling on 23rd October 2025, Justice Jacob Gakeri ordered Dr Otumba to refund all the salaries and allowances that were irregularly deposited into his account, terming the payments “illicit and unethical.”
Maseno University filed the case through a Memorandum of Claim dated 10th June 2025, accusing the former lecturer of fraudulently drawing a salary while on unpaid leave from the institution. According to court documents, Otumba, who joined the Siaya County Government as CECM, continued to receive payments totalling KSh 936,047, comprising irregular salaries for December 2022 and January 2023, as well as an overpayment for part-time teaching services.
Although Dr Otumba admitted that he had requested and been granted a three-year leave of absence beginning December 2022, he nonetheless accepted the funds. The university later notified him of the error, to which he proposed to repay KSh 334,735 at a monthly instalment of KSh 10,000. However, the institution rejected his offer, insisting on full reimbursement.
In his judgment, Justice Gakeri observed that Dr Otumba could not “feign ignorance” of the payments, as the funds were deposited directly into his account after he had formally vacated his teaching position to join the county executive. The university has so far managed to recover KSh 134,265.96 from his pension contributions, but the remaining amount must now be repaid in full.
The ruling has sent shockwaves through Siaya County, where political tensions are already running high. A section of Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) is reportedly preparing a motion to impeach Dr Otumba, citing Chapter Six of the Constitution, which demands integrity and accountability among public officials.
Sources within the county government indicate that Otumba’s relationship with Governor James Orengo has deteriorated in recent months, with concerns over poor performance and departmental mismanagement. The court’s verdict appears to have further weakened his standing within the administration.
Public reaction has been swift, with residents and civic groups questioning the moral integrity of senior county officials. “You cannot serve in government while taking money that doesn’t belong to you,” said one Siaya resident. “This is a clear breach of public trust.”
As the legal dust settles, Dr Otumba now faces the twin burden of repaying the unlawfully earned salaries and fighting for his political survival amid mounting pressure from both the public and the County Assembly.
His fate now rests on whether Siaya’s leadership will uphold the Constitution’s integrity clauses or shield one of their own from the consequences of his own actions.
