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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has formally opened investigations on the alleged embezzlement of public funds at the Kenya National Trading Corporation through irregular award of tenders for supply and delivery of food commodities during the financial years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.

The anti-graft agency in a letter signed by Director Investigation Paschal Mweu, wants the corporation to provide among others, the approved budgets and procurement plans for the financial year 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.

To facilitate the investigation, kindly provide us with all the original documents listed below in relation to procurement of the food commodities,” reads the letter which is copied to KNTC Managing Director Pamela Mutua.

On Monday, we reported how President William Ruto ordered investigations into the finances of three senior-ranking government officials implicated in the loss of hundreds of millions of shillings through inflation of prices of imported edible oil.

Cooking oil manufacturers

The Head of State had, through his own initiative, negotiated a contract with the cooking oil manufacturers on the understanding that this would bring down the cost of the 125,000 metric tonnes of edible oil which was part of a strategy to tame the high cost of basic commodities.

It was later reported to the President that the three officers inflated the price by an average of $7 per litre, thus negating the original intention of Kenya importing the cooking oil.

That meant after being converted, 125,000,000 litres were imported at an added cost of Sh875 million. The consignment was initially estimated at a total cost of Sh9 billion.