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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has commenced investigations into alleged irregular contracts and payments by the Marsabit county government.

EACC says it received a dossier from Marsabit Senator Mohamed Said Chute outlining claims of impropriety and graft in payments amounting to billions of shillings.

“Yes we received the petition from Senator Chute and we are looking into the allegations,” EACC head of communication Yasin Amaro said.

According to Amaro, the commission treats any claim seriously and has to make a follow up after verification of the same. “Our officers are going through the claims and documents that the Senator forwarded with a view to establishing the facts. Once that is over, an investigation file will be opened depending on what the officers will have obtained from the petition,” he added.

Last week, Chute asked both EACC and DCI to probe Sh2.1 billion payments which he alleges were done irregularly by the county government.

The Senator prepared a dossier that he forwarded to the two agencies outlining how governor Mohamud Ali’s government may have violated the law. “Please find attached booklet containing an analysis of irregular payment of suppliers from my office, requisition and schedule of supplier from the County government of Marsabit for your perusal and subsequent investigation,” Chute’s letter dated August 2, 2023 reads in part.

In the dossier, Chute says over Sh1.3 billion was used for relief food and water supply to drought hit areas in the last one year alone contrary to the Public Finance Management Act.

Other payments questioned include Sh382.2 million spent for constructions services, Sh44.2 million for solid waste, Sh134.2 million for water services and Sh200 million for health services.

The law requires that a county government can only use an equivalent of 2 per cent of its revenue in only cases of urgent and unforeseen events.

Sue for defamation

Governor Ali has since dismissed the allegations and threatened to sue the senator for defamation.

However, Senator Chute insists that companies that maybe proxies of senior County government officials are beneficiaries of lucrative deals.

An analysis obtained from the list provided indicates that at least eight companies that secured lucrative deals to supply relief food and other items share office addresses despite having different directors.

Four of the firms are sharing the same address of P.O Box 50569, City Square Nairobi another four while share an address of P.O Box 35 Marsabit. One of firms was paid over Sh120 million in four vouchers dated June 30, 2016 of Sh94.5 million, 10.1 million, Sh8.8 million and Sh7.2 million all indicated as supply and delivery of cereals, pulses and miscellaneous food stuffs. 

Another Company was paid Sh127 million on May 17, 2023 for supply and delivery of cereals, pulses and miscellaneous food stuffs while the third Ltd got Sh44.8 million on June 30, 2013 and a similar payment of Sh44.8 million on June 6, 2023 under the same contract.

Yet a fourth one received payments in three tranches of Sh3.6 million on April 24, 2023, Sh3.9 million on April 24, 2923 and another Sh2.8 million on the same day.

A fifth one was paid Sh29.6 million on June 9, 2013 while a sixth one was paid Sh14.8 million on June 30, 2023.

A seventh company was paid Sh1.5 million on June 30, 2013 for water trucking services an eighth one was paid Sh2 million for pipeline extension to Manyatta Chorora in Saku, Sh1.3 million for repair of engine overhaul of GKA722S and Sh3.8 million for engine overhaul and body repair for a county water bowser.