The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has seized assets worth Ksh.100 million belonging to an officer of the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KERRA), Kajiado County Office.
The officer, Esther Wanjiru Chege, is believed to have fraudulently acquired the assets including millions of shillings and 13 parcels of land scattered in various towns including: Kiambu, Nyandarua, Naivasha, Makueni and Kajiado.
In a report issued on Friday, EACC said Wanjiru is under investigation “for alleged conflict of interest, embezzlement of public funds and unexplained wealth.”
The anti-graft body seized the 13 title deeds after the assets were frozen by the High Court in Machakos on July 19, 2022.
The court also ordered that Wanjiru’s Equity bank account holding Ksh.3,295,271 be frozen.
“EACC believes that the bank account is being used as a conduit for depositing and transferring proceeds of corruption at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority,” noted EACC.
The EACC report further indicates that between January 2016 – May 2022, Wanjiru transacted Ksh.26,359,921 through the said bank account.
“Currently, her net monthly salary is Kshs. 116,640,” added EACC.
Wanjiru is suspected to have, jointly with others, siphoned public funds through companies registered through proxies and relatives.
Her partner Robert Macharia Kimotho is one of Wanjiru’s the suspected accomplices.
“Together with her partner Robert Macharia Kimotho, they operate a school bank Account under the name St. Sharon Secondary School where money is sent from their company accounts to and before its transfer to their personal accounts and M-Pesa,” adds EACC
According to the anti-graft agency, a company by the name M/s Rokays Enterprise Limited registered by Wanjiru’s her spouse/partner Mr Robert Macharia Kimotho, who is a Director of St. Sharon Secondary School in Nyandarua, received over Ksh.5 million from KERRA.