NAIROBI, Kenya- Two former Chief Officers of Isiolo County Government, Giro Liban and Kenneth Turibu Maorwe, are in the spotlight after being charged with the alleged misappropriation of Sh163.4 million in public funds.
The charges, linked to fraudulent payments for undelivered services, highlight a deep-rooted procurement scandal.
Appearing before Chief Magistrate Lucy Mutai at the Isiolo Anti-Corruption Court on December 16, 2024, Liban and Maorwe pleaded not guilty to multiple charges, including eight counts of willful failure to comply with procurement laws and four counts of abuse of office.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that the irregularities stemmed from the awarding of a tender for car hire and transport services to Dabasiti Contractors and Suppliers Ltd.
Investigations unearthed that these tenders were initiated without an approved procurement plan or budget, violating procurement regulations.
According to an EACC statement, “The County Government of Isiolo was in the process of making a fraudulent payment of Sh163,377,754 to various suppliers for goods not delivered.”
The accused were each granted Sh1 million cash bail or an equivalent bond by the court. The case will be mentioned on December 23, 2024, with hearings scheduled for February 26–27, 2025.
Despite the irregularities, Dabasiti Contractors later sued Isiolo County for unpaid bills amounting to Sh8.4 million for transport services and Sh17 million for relief food.
A summary judgment was issued in favor of the contractor, sparking further scrutiny into the legitimacy of the claims.
The County Government sought to validate these pending bills through the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) and the Pending Bills Verification Task Force Committee (PBVC).
Both entities classified the contractor’s debt as eligible. However, the EACC criticized the County for settling the bills despite glaring violations in procurement procedures.
The case underscores the ongoing challenges of enforcing accountability in public office. It also serves as a reminder of the critical role of oversight institutions in safeguarding public funds.
