A Ksh4.8 billion scandal at the prisons department has been foiled by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
According to EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak, the department was about to pay Ksh4.8 billion upfront for the supply of security items in a flawed tendering process.
The payment of the money entailed payment of 80 per cent of the total amount upfront within 30 days before supply of the items.
“Money did not leave but the contract had been signed. So it was by sheer luck that the money had not been released because the contract says upon signing payment should be done within 30 days,” said Mbarak.
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Among the items that were to be supplied included machine guns at a cost of Ksh478 million, g3 rifles at Ksh597 million, full target rifles at Ksh342 million and bullet proof vests at a cost of Ksh2.2 billion. Others include Pistols worth Ksh158 million and rifle slings at a cost Ksh200 million, exaggerated at between Ksh200 to Ksh5,000 a piece, according to EACC.
An unbudgeted amount of Ksh242 million was set to be paid for unspecified entities.
EACC says that the payments were stopped before they left the ministry’s accounts to the supplying firms.
Eight individuals among them former and current principal secretaries at the Interior Ministry as well as a top politician are under investigation in connection to the scandal.
10 companies are adversely mentioned in the scandal, and are also under investigation.
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