DCI Director George Kinoti has raised alarm over Ksh4 billion, intended to have been part of the cost total of two dams that was re-routed back to Kenya after Treasury wired it to Milan, Italy.
According to the DCI, the money was transferred by Treasury to Italy, in 2017, to a firm that was contracted to construct dams in Elgeyo Marakwet.
However, the directorate has just revealed that Ksh4 billion was later sent to a bank in London and soon after to another bank in Nairobi.
He stated: “We have the account number the money was sent to in London and Nairobi. We don’t know why the money was being sent to Nairobi and that is part of our investigations.”
Kinoti further revealed that once in Nairobi, the money was withdraw in US dollars from a bank in Westlands.
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“The Italian contractors say they don’t have money because it was taken away. They can’t explain, yet we are servicing a loan as a country. This is sad and merciless,” DCI Director expressed.
According to him, the money is currently ‘in people’s houses.”
His team of detectives is currently working on finding out why that money got its way back to Kenya yet the dam projects have stalled.
The Ksh4 billion was a fraction of the Ksh6.3 billion that was reportedly for mobilization of resources to enable the Italian firm, CMC di Ravenna, start the projects.
According to records at Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA), Arror Dam was to cost Ksh38.5 billion while Kimwarer Dam in Keiyo South was to be financed by Ksh28 billion.
Despite the government having released the billions for the project, Kinoti ascertains that the project was flawed from the beginning as the contractors did not have any designs to warrant any action from the government.
Further investigations are still ongoing on the matter, with the DCI promising to ensure that those involved in the fraud scheme will be brought to books.
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