PROCUREMENT | Operation recovered crucial evidentiary material to support ongoing investigations
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) staged raids on residences and offices of four Garissa County officials in connection with investigations into irregular award of contracts worth Sh1.2 billion. Among those targeted in the September 17 raid were the Head of County Treasury, Abdi Ali Nuriye; Mohamed Daud Korow (Chief Finance Officer); Mohamed Abdi Hassan (Director, Supply Chain Management); and Abdiwahab Omar Guye (former Director, Procurement). The EACC detectives have been investigating allegations of procurement irregularities in the award of contracts worth Sh1.2 billion at the County Government of Garissa. The tender was for the construction of a terminal wing at Garissa Airstrip, construction of perimeter wall and pavilion at Garissa Primary School, and provision of medical insurance.
Evidentiary material
“The operation resulted in the recovery of crucial evidentiary material to support the ongoing investigations,” the EACC said, adding that the tender also included provision of catering services and payment of salaries to ghost workers by the county officials. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the findings will guide the appropriate course of action, which may include the prosecution of any individuals found culpable, the forfeiture of unexplained assets, and the confiscation of proceeds linked to corruption.
Governor Nathif Jama Adan Jama had also earlier been grilled by the detectives after he was summoned to record a statement over the alleged mismanagement of Sh1.2 billion. The Governor is accused of irregular recruitment of staff and payment of Sh700 million in salaries to ghost workers and conflict of interest in the award of contracts worth Sh265 million to Takaful Insurance of Africa Ltd and Tina Gardens Hotel, firms linked to him. He was also grilled over irregular award of tender for the construction of a pavilion and masonry perimeter fence at Garissa Primary to Jubalink Logistics and Transport Company at a cost of Sh188 million. The EACC further said the Governor was also questioned over irregular award of tender for the construction of a terminal wing at Garissa Airstrip to Remera Investments Limited at Sh110 million. He denied any wrongdoing.
Garissa County governor, Hon. Nathif Jama Adam
PHOTO | COURTESY | TRBN
Elsewhere, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has successfully opposed a bid by former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, who is serving a 12-year prison term, to review his sentence. Lady Justice Lucy Njuguna, in a ruling delivered on September 16, 2025, rejected an application filed on August 28, 2025, in which the former county boss sought to overturn his sentence on corruption-related charges. In February 2025, Waititu was convicted and ordered to either pay a fine of Sh53.5 million or serve 12 years in prison. He is still serving his term at Kamiti Maximum Prison, after failing to meet strict bond terms that required him to deposit a Sh53 million bank guarantee.
Good governance
In its ruling, the court found that he failed to uphold the principles of good governance and safeguard public funds after irregularly receiving Sh25 million from Testimony Enterprises following the award of a flawed tender. Justice Njuguna ruled that the sentencing will stand pending the hearing and determination of Waititu’s appeal. She further directed that the appeal be concluded within 120 days, warning that any delays on the part of the former governor could lead to the case being struck out.
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Stolen pharaoh’s gold bracelet melted down, sold for $4,000
A 3,000-year-old gold bracelet belonging to an ancient pharaoh, which disappeared from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (EMC) earlier this month, was stolen and melted down, Egypt’s Interior Ministry said in a statement. According to the ministry, a restoration specialist took the artifact and sold it to a silver jeweler she knew. The silver jeweler then sold it to a gold jeweler for 180,000 Egyptian pounds (about $3,735), who subsequently sold it for 194,000 Egyptian pounds to a gold smelter. The smelter melted the bracelet along with other jewelry before reshaping it. The ministry said all four suspects confessed, and the money involved was seized. Legal action has been taken against them.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported the bracelet’s disappearance on Tuesday. The item belonged to King Amenemope, a pharaoh of ancient Egypt’s 21st Dynasty who ruled from 993 to 984 BC. The bracelet, decorated with a lapis lazuli bead, vanished from a safe in the conservation laboratory on the museum’s second floor. In response, the antiquities ministry formed a special committee to review the lab’s artifacts and circulated a photo of the missing bracelet at Egypt’s airports, seaports, and land border crossings.
The EMC is the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, housing over 170,000 artefacts. It has the largest collection of pharaonic antiquities in the world, according to the museum’s official website. Museums housing ancient artefacts are a vital pillar for attracting tourists and a significant source of foreign currency in Egypt.
-Xinhua
