The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has intensified investigations into alleged corruption within the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) by raiding the homes of two senior officials connected to multi-million shilling scandals in road construction projects.
According to EACC, the raids are part of ongoing efforts to unearth irregularities in the accumulation of wealth, procurement fraud, and embezzlement of public funds linked to road maintenance and construction contracts under KeRRA.
On Thursday, September 19, 2024, EACC detectives raided the residence of Mr. Joel Mutambu Kilonzi, the Regional Accountant for Lamu County. This operation came a week after a similar search was conducted at the home of Eng. Joseph Murage Kimata, the KeRRA Regional Director for Kirinyaga County, who had previously served in the same capacity in Kiambu County.
Both officials are accused of involvement in graft schemes involving significant sums of money.
According to the EACC, the raids have yielded crucial evidence that could lead to the forfeiture of unexplained wealth and potential criminal charges.
Eng. Joseph Murage Kimata is under investigation for conflict of interest and corruption. The EACC has linked him to four companies allegedly owned by a former KeRRA employee, Fidelis Mumbi Njogu. The companies—Njosca Enterprises Ltd, Lebca Lebca Enterprises Ltd, Dolin Enterprises Ltd, and Kippetu General Mercantile Ltd—received a combined Kshs 311 million in contracts between 2016 and 2023, during Kimata’s tenure in Kiambu and Kirinyaga regions.
The EACC claims that Kshs 6 million from these companies was used to fund the construction of Kimata’s property in Thindigua, Nairobi. A source at the EACC confirmed, “This was a clear case of conflict of interest, with funds directly benefiting the regional director through kickbacks and fraudulent tenders.”
Meanwhile, the investigation into Mr. Kilonzi focuses on his role in awarding contracts worth Kshs 216 million to four companies—Felia Company Limited, Kife Company Limited, Joekin Company Limited, and Trinam Company Limited—between 2020 and 2023 while he was based in Turkana. Kilonzi is alleged to have received over Kshs 9 million in kickbacks from directors of these companies, which were used to construct his Mutomo Highway Cottage hotel.
In a letter dated July 10, 2024, the EACC recommended that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) charge Kilonzi with abuse of office and conflict of interest. “The investigation has revealed that Mr. Kilonzi used proxy companies registered under relatives and his wife to trade with KeRRA and benefit financially,” the letter read.
Both officials are now facing the prospect of prosecution .
