Charges approved: EACC arrests 7 county officials in KSh 120m procurement fraud

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission arrested seven current and former Nakuru County officials on Thursday, 30 July 2026

- An Economist II at the county allegedly channelled KSh 120 million in tenders to firms owned and controlled by her husband

- The Director of Public Prosecutions approved charges against nine suspects, including counts of conflict of interest and money laundering

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested seven serving and former senior officials of the county government of Nakuru, alongside a private contractor, over procurement fraud involving county contracts worth KSh 120,042,417.

The arrests, carried out on Thursday, July 30, 2026, followed investigations into allegations that Lorna Karamuta Mubichi, an Economist II at the county, steered government tenders towards companies owned by her husband while she was an employee of the same institution.

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How the scheme allegedly worked

Investigators established that three firms — Denken Building & Construction Limited, Murinchamba Investments Limited, and Windcom Solutions Limited — were awarded 29 contracts across five financial years, from 2020/2021 to 2024/2025.

The companies were owned and controlled by Kenneth Muriithi Ndubi, either solely or together with his brother, Brian Mwenda Ndubi.

The EACC found that the firms used falsified documents to secure the tenders unlawfully, and that a portion of the contract proceeds was subsequently transferred into joint bank accounts held by Mubichi and her husband. Further tracing of the payments revealed that some of the money also reached several senior county officials.

The commission concluded that Mubichi's private financial interest in her husband's businesses constituted a direct conflict with her official responsibilities as a county public officer.

Nakuru fraud suspects arrested and charged

Upon completing its investigations, the EACC forwarded the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who approved the prosecution of nine suspects on charges including conflict of interest, money laundering, acquisition of proceeds of crime, engaging in corrupt procurement practices, and wilful failure to comply with procurement laws.

Those arrested include Mubichi herself; her husband Kenneth Muriithi Ndubi; Daniel Ndung'u Wainaina, Chief Officer for Medical Services; Kennedy Mungai Barasa, Chief Officer for Roads and Infrastructure; Timothy Kiogora Muriithi, Chief Officer for Water; Peter Gitau Thabanja, City Manager of Nakuru City; and Solomon Sirma, currently serving as County Executive Committee Member for Finance in Baringo county and previously Chief Officer for Health in Nakuru county.

All seven are expected to appear before the Nakuru Law Courts on July 32, 2026.

The commission separately directed two individuals believed to have gone into hiding — Brian Mwenda Ndubi,a director at Windcom Solutions Limited and Josphat Kimemia, Chief Officer for Youth Affairs and Sports — to present themselves immediately at the EACC's South Rift Regional Office in Nakuru or the nearest EACC office.

EACC Secretary and Chief Executive Officer Abdi A. Mohamud called on all state organs and public entities to strengthen compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, by putting in place effective measures for the declaration, management, and prevention of conflicts of interest among public officers.

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.