Embu Assembly Seeks Intervention of EACC and DCI on Irregular Transactions

By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

The County Assembly of Embu has invited the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the irregular payment of KSh 3,000,000 to a company whose contract period had lapsed.

According to a Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Examination of the Report of the Auditor General on County Executive of Embu for Year ended 30th June 2025, but months later, the Embu County Government illegally paid JamboPay company for an extension of a contract for the supply, delivery, implementation, customization, and commissioning of a revenue collection and management automation system.

In a Motion moved by Deputy Speaker Ibrahim Swaleh, the Assembly has called upon the Anti-Graft Agency and DCI to take appropriate legal action on the officers involved if found culpable of breach of Section 139 (1) and (2A) of the Public Procurement and Asser Disposal Act, Cap 412 (c),

Swaleh who is also the MCA for Kirimari Ward observed that a review of records established that the contract expired on 6th April, 2023 but had not been extended. However, the management irregularly issued Local Purchase Orders. No. 66 and 76, approving the contract extension without a formal recommendation from the Tender Evaluation Committee. 

This was contrary to Section 139(1)(2) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act, 2015 which sets the contractual obligations to a contractor after a procurement process is completed. In the circumstances, County Executive was found to be in breach of the law.

Further records, as per the report, show that the County Government was already in the process of acquiring a new revenue system at a contract sum of KSh 37,120,000 and an amount of KSh 8,742,644 had already been incurred towards acquiring the new revenue system.

The Deputy Speaker also faulted the County Executive’s senior officers for perennially failing to submit documents to the Office of the Auditor General and later struggling to argue their cases before the Public Accounts and Public Investment committees, warning that the Assembly would not be turned into an auditing firm.

Swaleh further revealed that no evidence was provided to the Committee to demonstrate that issues raised by the Auditor General in previous Audit Reports had been addressed or resolved citing the County Government for indifference and lack of commitment to resolve audit queries.

The Report tasked the County Executive Committee (CEC) member for Finance and Economic Planning should ensure that all prior years’ audit matters are resolved and proof of the same submitted to the County Assembly within thirty (30) days failure to which he will be held personally liable in accordance with Section 53 of the Public Audit Act, 2015.