Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala’s homes were raided by detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
According to reports, the EACC detectives conducted the raid at dawn on Monday in the minister’s Nairobi office and his homes in Nairobi, Vipingo in Kilifi and Mombasa.
It is noted that there were crucial documents that were recovered during the morning raid.
The CS is being investigated for allegedly granting a Ksh100 million contract to a local company to offer unspecific services during expos held in Nairobi two years ago at the Kenyatta International Conference Center.
The operation was carried out after the agency got intelligence that the mentioned company is allegedly a conduit for state officers to siphon public funds.
The anti-graft body then later drafted a letter asking the CS to avail himself at the Integrity House offices to record a statement.
In the letter, Balala was asked to appear before the investigators the following week.
The investigators have also asked him to provide the tender documents, invoices, payment vouchers and other supporting documents on the said contract.
Speaking to The Standard, the agency noted that they seek to find out why the CS awarded the company a tender without following public procurement laws and with the exclusion of the principal secretary, who is the accounting officer.
“The ministry has not been able to show us which type of services were offered or provide documents on how the payments were done,” an EACC officer stated.
The Tourism CS is stated to have personally signed the award letter to the company hence attracting investigations from the EACC.
He is also alleged to have contracted the company during the 2016/2017 financial year to offer various services during the circuit of exhibitions held in Nairobi.
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The company was contracted for hosting the expos under a programme to aid in the recovery of the Tourism docket during the event held from February 23 to 26, 2017.
However, Balala’s personal assistant Said Athman dismissed the reports asserting that he is not aware of any raids or the ongoing investigations.
“I have just spoken to waziri (Balala) and he is not aware of any raid conducted in his residence or office,” he told a local daily.
Further information reveals that despite the company being contracted, it had not qualified to be given the contract and neither did the ministry have the money.
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