Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Finance Manager Patrick Nyoike was arrested on Sunday alongside his wife Jacinta Wambugu and KPA clerical officer Issack Obunga over Ksh 214 million irregular payments.
The trio was arrested with approval from Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji who ordered their arrest.
In a statement, Through a statement, Noordin Haji disclosed that the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives had been investigating how KPA made payments amounting to Ksh 214, 548, 340 million to Nyali Capital Limited between October 2014 and March 2017.
Nyali Capital, a non-deposit taking microfinance.
Nyoike is allegedly accused of approving the irregular payments where his wife Jacinta Wanjiku Wambugu worked and his brother Alfred Hinga Nyoike worked as General Manager and director respectively.
“Wanyoike had interests in the company, with his wife, Jacinta and brother Hinga, were working as GM and Director respectively,” said Haji.
Obunga is accused of facilitating the transaction despite the lack of the contractual relationship between KPA and Nyali Capital Limited.
“This fact was known by Isaac Obunga, an employee of the KPA, who nevertheless irregularly defined Nyali Capital Limited as a vendor in the KPA vendor portal,” he noted.
According to Haji, “Wanyoike facilitated Nyali Capital’s Limiteds Microfinance business to finance the KPA suppliers, Local Purchase Orders and Local Service Orders and thereafter utilized the KPA system to have the principal and the interest from the same suppliers remitted to Nyali Capital Limiteds account by the KPA. It is therefore clear that he abused his office by receiving payments directly from KPA,” said Haji.
The trio will be arraigned in court Monday to face four charges, among them conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, failure to disclose a private interest and dealing with suspect property.
