NAIROBI, Kenya — Two officials at the National Treasury have been ordered to return over KSh39 million in public funds they illegally received as allowances, in a ruling delivered by the High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division on June 4.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) announced the recovery following a successful case against Robert Theuri Murage and Doris Nafula Simiyu, who were found to have fraudulently pocketed millions disguised as task force, facilitation, entertainment, and extraneous allowances, among others — many of which were either duplicated or lacked legal backing.
Justice L.M. Njuguna ruled that the allowances, paid between January 2020 and June 2022, were irregular and unauthorized by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), in breach of the Constitution.
The payments, the court found, were part of a deliberate scheme by the two officials to siphon public funds for personal gain.
Murage was ordered to repay KSh20.3 million, with KSh11 million already frozen in his Equity Bank account forfeited to the state. He must pay the remaining KSh9.2 million in cash.
Simiyu was similarly ordered to return KSh18.8 million, including KSh8.9 million preserved in her National Bank account. She will be required to pay KSh9.9 million in cash to settle the balance.
EACC RECOVERS OVER KES. 39 MILLION IN ILLEGAL ALLOWANCES FROM NATIONAL TREASURY OFFICIALSThe Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered Kes39,180,000 fraudulently paid to two officials of the National Treasury, Mr. Robert Theuri Murage and Ms. Doris Nafula
The ruling comes nearly three years after the EACC launched investigations in July 2022, acting on reports of widespread misuse of public funds at the National Treasury.
The probe revealed that the two officials routinely drew multiple overlapping allowances — some based on revoked government circulars, others completely fabricated.
“This judgment affirms that no public officer will be allowed to enrich themselves through fraudulent means,” the Commission said in a statement, lauding the court’s decision as a major step toward reinforcing accountability in government.
The court also reaffirmed that SRC advisories are binding, as per Article 230 of the Constitution, dismissing any claims that the payments had internal approval.
The judge concluded that the duo’s actions amounted to “unjust enrichment” and violated the public trust.
The case adds to a growing list of corruption-related convictions as the EACC intensifies its efforts to recover stolen public funds and pursue individuals who exploit loopholes in the public finance system.
Despite the successful judgment, questions remain about how such unauthorized payments went undetected for over two years within one of the country’s most critical ministries — and whether others were involved in the scheme.
