Senate Orders EACC Probe Into Kitui County Sand Revenue
The Senate’s County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) has directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate revenue collected from sand harvesting in Kitui County.
The directive was issued on Tuesday during a meeting between the Committee and Kitui Governor Julius Malombe, who appeared before Senators to respond to audit queries from the county’s 2024/25 financial statements.
The investigation will focus on the number of trucks transporting sand daily and the amount of cess collected, amid concerns that revenue from the activity is underreported and under-optimised. CPAC warned this could point to possible loss or theft of public funds.
“Revenue from sand cess requires thorough investigation,” said CPAC Chairperson Senator Moses Kajwang’. “We direct the EACC to follow up on the matter and take the necessary action as provided for under the Constitution.”
The directive came after a heated exchange over the actual revenue generated from sand transportation. Governor Malombe told the Committee that 10 to 20 trucks transport sand daily, with each truck paying a cess of Sh5,000, which he said amounts to about Sh50,000 in daily revenue.
However, Senators rejected these figures, saying the county had grossly underreported earnings, raising concerns about possible malfeasance.
Malombe explained that cess charges vary by truck size: a 10-ton truck pays Sh5,000, while smaller trucks between three and five tonnes pay Sh2,000 to Sh3,000. He added that truck numbers fluctuate depending on weather, with rainy periods reducing transport to as few as five trucks per day, generating about Sh25,000.
Senator Enock Wambua dismissed this explanation, claiming that at least 100 trucks transport sand daily, and alleged that although each truck pays Sh6,000, receipts often show only Sh1,000, with the balance allegedly pocketed by cartels.
Using the county’s own estimate of 20 trucks per day, Senator Wambua questioned the Sh11 million annual revenue reported in the county’s financial statements. “If 20 trucks each paid Sh5,000 per day, that totals Sh100,000 daily, translating to about Sh36.5 million annually,” he said.
Governor Malombe attributed the low revenue to weak regulation and the previously unstructured nature of sand harvesting in Kitui. He said the county has now enacted the Kitui Rivers Basin Sand Utilisation and Conservation Act, which automates cess collection and requires sand harvesting to be conducted through registered cooperative societies.
“The existence of cartels cannot be denied. They do exist, but they are on the run because of the tough measures we have put in place,” Malombe said, adding that the new law provides strong enforcement mechanisms to protect the county’s resources.