Nairobi, Kenya- Kenya’s corruption fight just got hotter — and nine county bosses are right in the middle of it.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) says it is actively investigating governors accused of looting public coffers, with some allegedly turning county offices into personal ATM machines.
Speaking to Citizen TV on Tuesday, EACC chairperson Dr. David Oginde said the list is long and dirty.
“We are pursuing quite a number of governors — at the moment, nine are under scrutiny at different levels of the cases. It’s not just governors; it goes down to other county staff,” Dr. Oginde said.
Counties Keeping EACC ‘Busy’
Dr. Oginde revealed that counties are now the commission’s biggest headache. And here’s the kicker — some of the most corruption-hit counties are the ones that are supposed to be receiving extra privileges to close the development gap.
Instead, leaders in these marginalized regions are accused of siphoning funds meant for hospitals, roads, and schools — and moving the loot to Nairobi to buy luxury apartments or start private businesses.
“They have been given privileges to try and bring the county up, but the leaders are syphoning that money and bringing it back to Nairobi,” he said.
How the Looting Works
According to EACC, governors and senior officials have perfected a system: Junior officers act as money conduits, moving funds from county accounts into private ones.
Tender fraud is rampant — inflated contracts, ghost companies, and sweetheart deals designed to drain budgets fast.
The result? County development stalls while a few fatten their pockets.
Political Protection: The Graft Shield
Even when EACC makes arrests, politics kicks in. Dr. Oginde says some suspects show up to record statements accompanied by rowdy supporters — sometimes even storming EACC offices.
“We have had situations where we arrest senior people, and the very day they are coming to record statements, our offices are raided by their supporters,” he revealed.
This political shielding, he warned, has crippled Kenya’s anti-graft war for decades.
Bottom line: With nine governors under the microscope, EACC’s crackdown is making headlines — but without breaking the political shield protecting high-level suspects, Kenya’s war on corruption risks being another loud campaign with no real convictions.
