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Corruption in Kenya is a blog that seeks to address issues on corruption. It is a platform through which you can share any corruption related experience with others anonymously, if you so wish.
All you have to do is post your experience the way you post your comments and we will post it, on your behalf, as the topic.
CORRUPTION IN KENYA 
nzoia outgrowers company
December 14, 2010 at 3:02 pm
nzoia outgrowers company box 1959 bungoma, situated at sikata centre
5kms after kanduyi
the board of directors appointed a board member 4 months ago against the articles and memorandum of association of the company, directors are supposed to be elected by farmers. the said director has been earning illegally.
the company has just acquired a new tractor without doing any tendering reason to siphon company funds.
secret accounts have been opened by the company chairman and finance manager who among other employees have been employed unprocedurally.
over 100 employees employed unprocedurally
former general manager re employed yet he had committed serious financial sins.
board chairman secretly drawing monies and mileage claims not allowed by the company.
there is alot of victimisation of employees if we employees talk or say anything
rachel wanjiku mwangi
December 16, 2010 at 10:26 am
I worked for Nairobi city Council from Dec 1979 to Dec 2006 When i went to LapTtrust to check my personal number had been given to somebody else. I later learnt my pension had already paid out .I was told not to be using my Coucil Number BO7 05116 and was given sn 5048. Iam experiencing problems since the people who had claimed my pension follow everywhere i go Please investigate because they are interfering with my life. my name is Rachel Wanjiku Mwangi ID 4439386
njoroge kimumu
December 17, 2010 at 4:45 pm
JUSTICE DELAYED IS JUSTICE DENIED
ROAD MOTOR ACCIDENT ON 16 JULY 89
HIGH COURT CIVIL CASE NO. 3439’92
I am complaining against a lawyer one Frank Gitau Gathata Advocate. I engaged lawyer Frank Gitau Gathatta in a case of road motor accident on 16 July 1989. The case was heard and the compensation benefit awarded in 1992, but to my greatest disappointment, the compensation has never been paid to me to this day. What’s up?
I want the FULL compensation to be paid to me NOW. Please understand and act immediately. I will very much appreciate your effort to help.
NJOROGE KIMUMU
ID: 8554196
This is the letter from the Complaints Commission:
DCC 20 OF 2003
11 NOVEMBER 2010
NJOROGE KIMUMU
P.O BOX 70538, 00100
NAIROBI
Dear Sir,
RE: YOUR COMPLAINT AGAINST FRANK GITAU GATHATTA ADVOCATE
We refer to the above matter.
This matter came-up for for mention before the displinary committee on 10 may 2010 whereby it was ordered that Kshs 150,000/= be released to you by the law society of Kenya.
Therefore, kindly and urgently visit their offices situated along Gitanga road and collect your money.
NB: Yet the amount of money which was awarded in 1992 was Kshs. 900,995.00 , where did they get this figure- Kshs.150,000.
George
December 28, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Goshen Accademy, a private School in the Nakuru County where my son goes to school always sends a “News letter” alongside the report card. All except August 2010 holidays when there was a shortage.
On 3rd July 2010, which happened to be a visiting day, a “Parents meeting” was held and it was resolved to give a treat to all the teachers in the form of a trip to Mombasa at the parents expense – KSh 500/= per student. There are approximately 450 students in the school.
This amount (500/=) was incremented on term 3 fees – which we did not know about till December newsletter (remember the shortage of august newsletters). Parents therefore ended up having un-planned for arrears enemating from this.
I have my April 2010 newsletter and there is no mention of a parents meeting. the only mention of date 3rd July is as a VISITING DAY.
In conclution (my opinion):-
1. Parents were never invited for a meeting (not even via SMS – the school has our phone numbers);
2. An Impromptu was held during a visiting day – catching the parents present off-gurd,
3. The management / teachers had already decided to go to Mombasa at our expence
4. This is also one form of forced corruption where one party (ME) has no say or redress
5. Maybe Mutua (Kenya parents association?) has something to say about this?
6. Is this happening in other schools to other parents?
jimmy
January 4, 2011 at 10:02 am
hi,first i would like to thank you,for the good job your doing,of availing kenyans a platform,to air their grievances,relating to corruption.
Well there this thing that is happening in our neighbourhood,which is so wicked,i beilieve someone should be held responsible,i live in mombasa,changamwe constituency,hamisi eatate,of late water vendors,have been connecting their water source to the main pipe,which i believe its illegal,coz that water in the first its not treated,hence leading to a host of diseases,plus the workers at the coast water services board, whom i believe are responsible for colluding with water vendors to access the main pipe,should be held responsible,the place where all this is taking place is about,300mtrs from where the whole centre of adminsration is located,i.e,the police,dc, chief, etc,please is there any way,that you can assist to air out, this wickedness.
concerned resident
Peter
January 4, 2011 at 3:11 pm
There is a theft going on on the Mobile phones. A message has been coming to me from 4884 after every 3 days and each time I get deducted Ksh 30. This is a service which I have never subscribed to. The owners need to be investigated. I know that so many Kenyans are suffering silently. Imagine if it happens to 1 million people
Ruth Wambua
January 8, 2011 at 11:23 am
Chief Executive officers of private organizations especially NGO’s and CBO’s should be investigated for corruption and impunity.A good example is the CEO of a certain farmers organization who practices nepotism and tribalism without any shame. Almost 90% of the organization’s employees hail from his Meru community and extended family. Students being attached for internship are also from his community or extended family. The key posts that deal with money ie senior finance office and the accounts and their assistants are part of his family. The CEO’s salary is also way beyond what the organization can afford because he arbitrarily decides it. Any staff deemed not to cooperate are summarily dismissed. All consultancies are done by his private consultancy firm. The payroll also consists of ghost staff who work in his personal consultancy and his businesses. The office vehicles and equipment are used for personal activities eg picking and dropping his wife and children. How can such a CEO be investigated?
Grace Iyadi
January 31, 2011 at 3:00 pm
THIS IS AN SOS. DO SOMETHING ABOUT CORRUPTION AT TSC
1. PROTECTION OF CORRUPT HEAD TEACHERS WHO MISMANAGE INSTITUTIONS
2. INTERDICTING, SUSPENDING, EVEN DISMISSING PERFORMING BUT NON-COMPROMISING HEAD TEACHERS ON MADE-UP ALLEGATIONS
3. OUTRIGHT DEMAND FOR BRIBES AND OTHER FAVOURS FOR PROTECTION OF HEAD TEACHERS.
4. BLACKMAILING HEAD TEACHERS TO COOPERATE IN FRUSTRATING TARGETED DEPUTIES, HEADS OF DEPARTMENT AND TEACHERS
INVESTIGATE THE CEO AND HEADS OF HUMAN RESOURCE, STAFFING AND DISCIPLINE BEFORE THE SYNDICATE BRINGS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO A HALT.
ASK VICTIMS TO SPEAK OUT AND YOU WILL BE SHOCKED.
ACT NOW OR IT WILL BE TOO LATE.
Mary Njeri
February 2, 2011 at 11:16 am
My family owns a piece of property in the city center.In 2002 we rented a part of the basement to a tenant who then after occupying refused to sign the lease.
We proceeded to immediately evict her. She ran to the rent tribunal whereby she was told to vacate or sign the lease, she refused.The tenant went ahead to appeal in the high court.
Since then we started seeing City council askaris coming to the building to harass us over very small matters and we’ve had to spend a lot of money to rectify even imaginary problems.
Now the whole twist of the matter is that in 2008 the was a fire in the building and when the fire brigade came thereafter they ordered a few things be rectified and among them was to clear the basement since it was not planned to be a business area.
The tenant went ahead and bribed the fire officers and the order was rescinded. One of the fire officers particularly the deputy at the time told us point blank that that tenant had a lot money and the amount they had been given and if we wanted to have her evicted then we needed to give them a bigger amount.
We decided to wait on the Lord.
Late last year the tenant tried to use the City Council of Nairobi officials to prosecute us that the basement did not have adequate facilities (which is true because initially it was a parking area and this was among the reasons why the fire department had ordered us to remove the tenants). But the tenant would not budge.When we saw a charge sheet concerning the same we went there and laid the facts about the issue on the table. We got a very sympathetic ear who then proceeded to draw a charge against the tenant.The case was to be the first one to be heard this year.
When the tenant learnt of the impending charge she went ahead of this gentleman and bribed his seniors.He was very demoralized Again this officials actually bragged that the lady had poured money for Christmas and thus they had torn the charge sheet.
When confronted by one of their own on this they apologized and decided to come to our office. They told us that unless we were willing to give them money then there was nothing they could do.
Tully in Kenya justice goes to highest bidder.
We are keenly watching to seem what direction the high court case will take.
Now our concern is if there was some kind of disaster then what!
Mkenya Mzalendo
April 4, 2011 at 3:46 pm
HARMFUL BEHAVIOUR PATTERNS THAT PUT EWASO NGIRO SOUTH DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AT RISK
Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority is a state corporation under the Ministry of Regional Development Authorities with its headquarters in Narok town. The Authority has a new Managing Director appointed towards the end of June 2010 through a flawed recruitment process.
As a citizen who shares responsibility for protecting our country against corruption, I feel obliged to share with the Commission what I find to be corrupt practices in the corporation stemming from the leadership style and ineptitude of the MD. The bone of contention is harmful behavior patterns that put the corporation at risk. The manifestation of this behavior patterns contravenes the provisions of Public Officer Ethics Act to say the least. They include abuse of office and embezzlement of public funds. The issues are briefly explained under the following headings:
MISUSE OF GOVERNMENT VIHECLES
The Authority has a fleet of motor vehicles as follows:
(a) Toyota Prado KBN 109E (New)
(b) Totota Prado KAW 982Z
(c) Toyota Hilux D/C KAV 088E
(d) Toyota Hilux D/C KAV 464E
(e) Toyota Hilux D/C KBN 300E
Shortly after his appoint in August 2010, the MD wedded on 7th August 2010 at his home in Poroko, Kilgoris. For instance, vehicles Nos (b), (c) and (d) above were used intensively throughout the coordination of the wedding until the actual ceremony. The vehicles used to shuttle between Narok, Nairobi, Kilgoris and Loita in the interior where the bride comes from. On the wedding day, the Prado KAW 982Z was colourfully decorated since it was used to carry the bride. The wedding day was a scene to behold – how government vehicles were contemptuously used in a private function like personal property.
Under normal circumstances, the p/ups are used exclusively by his family (wife, children and parents) and in-laws to move around. The vehicles ate usually abused during school holidays when his family leisurely travel between Nairobi-Narok-Loita-Kilgoris and back as frequent as they please. The vehicles are so common in these routes such that one would wonder how they escape government vehicles check unit. These journeys are disguised as official and can be verified with the work tickets.
Recently, his father in-law was unfortunately remanded in Nakuru for murder. He used his official car Prado KAW 982Z to ferry his relatives to and fro Nakuru for attend case mentions. When the old man was bonded, the same vehicle carried him from Nakuru to his home in Loita. This took place in the week between 14th – 19th February 2011. This misuse of government vehicles can be investigated especially during school holidays when the abuse goes full throttle. This information may not be concrete but they can be important leads to trigger investigation into the matter. They indicate a trend or pattern of behavior that is harmful to the corporation. Information can as well be solicited from the local intelligence office on the use of these vehicles.
POROKO SPRING WATER SYSTEM
The MD’s home is on the foot of Poroko Hills in Kilgoris which is the catchment of a spring that serves his entire family’s homestead. Ewaso Ngiro South Development Authority was involved in the protection of the spring through establishment of a tree nursery next to it. He mobilized labour and materials paid by the Authority under the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme and piped water to his home and those of his brothers. This issue needs further investigation because public resources were diverted to personal benefit.
OFFICE BEAUTIFICATION AND RENOVATION
When the MD took over office, he immediately embarked on an overhaul of his office furniture. Later after about 4 months he renovated the office floor by replacing tiles. The office floor tiles are of different sizes and colours. Incidentally, probably by design, him and his closest confidants embarked on estate development and buying of cars. A source privy to the procurement process of the tiles intimated that quality tiles were diverted to their construction sites. This can as well be investigated to establish whether public resources were diverted to personal benefit. This can be verified whether earnings and borrowings (loans) of the officers mentioned below are commensurate to the projects undertaken within that period. Is it a coincidence that when the MD took over office, him and his closest friends embarked on estate development and car buying?
Below is the list of officers and locations of their projects (houses/cars) acquired shortly after the MD took over office:
Managing Director – Kipangas Estate and piping works in his rural home in Kilgoris
Ag. Finance Manager – Mwamba Estate and M/V RAV4 KBF 414W (metalic grey)
Ag. PR Assistant – Lenana Estate and M/V Toyota NZE KBG 616A (maroon)
Ag. Regional Coordinator – Total Estate
Ag. Procurement Assistant – Oletukat rural home
EXTRAVAGANT USE OF CHOPPERS FOR LOCAL TRANSPORT
It is on record that during one of the Authority’s functions where prospective investors visited Kilgoris to prospect for investment opportunities, he hired a chopper suspected to belong to a brother of his, to fly himself and his favoured friends from Nairobi to Kilgoris and back. The destination was Keyian tea estate which was accessible by road. This was extravagance of the highest order designed to benefit an individual at the expense of the corporation.
FAVORITISM AND ARBITRARY EMPLOYMENT IN DISREGARD OF LAID DOWN REGULATIONS
During the transition period, the DMD acted after the former MD left the corporation. The current MD, then head of planning had long standing personal differences with the former MD. To settle scores with the former MD, the current MD masterminded the sacking of 10 general clerks who had just been recruited and deployed to the just established regional offices.
Now that he is at the helm of the corporation, he is in the process of secretly recruiting about 10 employees most of them relatives of his cronies without following the laid procedures to replace the ones he sacked. The recruitment is a guarded secret between him and the human resource manager who is instructed on whom to give an appointment letter. He has created positions to fill under a subjective restructuring programme that is still shrouded in secrecy for the last six months but being implemented in piece meal.
Favoritism is also rampant in the Authority. The MD runs the corporation like his own house where everything has to go his way. He doesn’t trust anybody not even his managers whom he has reduced them to mere figureheads used as rubber stamps to pass his unilateral decisions. He micromanages the organization with little regard to the tenets of prudent management practice. He has surrounded himself with a clique of loyalists who wield immense power reminiscent of politicians in the dark Nyayo era. This clique has created a virtual human wall around him such that it is not easy to penetrate and interact with the boss. This scenario has elevated him onto an ivory tower such that has shut him off from the stark realities existing in the organization.
This minority clique is a bunch of rumor mongers and soothsayers that feed the boss with falsehoods to antagonize him with certain members of staff. Those who do not subscribe to his autocratic style of management have been condemned to oblivion, openly shunned, intimidated and constantly monitored. They are openly criticized and ridiculed in informal gatherings with unbridled arrogance. This state of affairs has created resentment and an unhealthy competition among the members of staff. The favored officers who are milking the Authority dry in form of fictitious expenditures are as below:
Ag. Finance Manager
Procurement Assistant (PA-presumptive to MD)
Ag. Public Relations Assistant
Ag. Regional Coordinator
Ag. Regional Planning Manager
ENSDA is an equal opportunity state corporation where every person is entitled to equality with respect to employment, professionalism, access to public facilities and benefits without discrimination. It is therefore imperative to investigate the above mentioned officers alongside the MD in respect to favoritism. They should be asked to account for their unexplained assets and thousands of imprests taken for frequent trips that do not add value to the Authority’s mandate.
The MD has failed to nurture a culture of teamwork where each and every employee has a role and space to serve the corporation. Instead, he has divided staff right down the middle where only a few are seen to be working.
In this regard for instance, the Acting Regional Coordinator performs virtually everything in organization. She is seen in:
– Regional coordination
– Human resource management
– Board secretary
– Board meeting coordination to name but a few
These are manifestations of impunity which must be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT ON FEMALE STAFF
The Managing Director is an amorous man who cannot zip his fly because of his craving for sex. He has been taking undue advantage of the economic vulnerability of married female employees to engage in indiscriminate sexual exploits. To exert pressure, he rewards cooperation in many ways. For instance, he grants them fictitious trips and trainings to the country’s major towns, where he will meet them under the guise of official duty.
In one instance, during one of the official functions where the Authority hosted a team of investors who were prospecting for tea investment opportunities in Kilgoris, the MD hired a chopper to fly himself and his so called ‘girlfriends’ to the venue of the function in his home area in Kilgoris.
A source privy to the goings-on in the office said that the youthful MD has taken his sexual hyper-activity to another level. He would engage his ‘target’ with assignments in the office after work so that he can make unsolicited advances. Three ladies particularly, due to the nature of their jobs, have fallen victims to these traps. One of them is in charge of finance, another one is in charge of regional coordination and the other one handles public relations and communication.
Because of their cooperation with the boss, these ladies have been lavishly and handsomely rewarded individually. They have acquired unexplained property that do not match their legitimate earnings; including putting up residential houses and buying cars within a short period since the MD took over the reigns of leadership.
Though they are benefitting materially, their dignity and reputation as married women has been compromised. They are suffering in silence because of the dilemma posed by the illicit affair. May be out of fear of putting their marriages and careers on the line, intimidation and feeling of shame, they may be unwilling to report cases of sexual harassment to relevant authorities. But it is ridiculous that the very management which is charged with the responsibility of discouraging sexual harassment in the workplace is the perpetrator of the vice.
The conduct of the MD contravenes the provisions of Section 21 of the Public Officer Ethics Act, 2003, which prohibits sexual harassment. Subjecting employees to sexual harassment does not only constitute moral turpitude but it is also demeaning to the victims. Section 23 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act, 2006 also prohibits persistent unwelcomed sexual advances or requests by any person in a position of authority.
The conduct of the public officer is a social misdemeanor that borders on sexual harassment and exploitation punishable by law. The behavior has offended, insulted, humiliated and intimidated female employees on the account of their gender. This should be investigated as well and dealt with in accordance with the law so that these employees are freed from the captivity of a secret illicit affair that has dented their reputations.
KENAO SYSTEM AUDIT
The KENAO system audit was concluded at the end of February 2011 and a report is expected in due course. The KENAO mission states that … provision of audit services through objective, reliable and timely audit reports as a contribution to enhanced accountability and transparency in the use of public resources. If its core values of integrity, objectivity and independence among others are anything to go by, the internal and external stakeholders are awaiting the report with abetted breath.
There is common faith that KENAO will come up with shocking revelations of the mess that has been going on in the organization. Information is rife that there are negotiations taking place behind the scenes to doctor the report to make it management-friendly. The KACC can pursue the report from KENAO and ensure that is produced in a manner that reflects the true state of affairs in the corporation. Alternatively, KACC can commission its own independent audit of the corporation’s accounts based on the issues mentioned above.
CONSULTANCIES
All consultancies for the Authority are done mainly by two entities namely Maven-Tech Consults and Sema Limited. Maven-tech Consultants particularly has received unreasonably huge payments for pre-feasibility studies for Olkejuado Multi-purpose and Lower Ewaso Ngiro River Hydo power projects. These projects are white elephants and the Authority might have just sunk funds in projects that are not economically feasible. Sema Limited has mainly done baseline surveys.
The interest of these consultants is attended to with a lot of vigour that has generated a lot of suspicion in the organization. It is suspected that the consultants might have been used as conduits through which individuals have improperly enriched themselves. An investigation should be carried out on the directorship of these consultants because it is feared that senior people in management and the Ministry might have vested interest in them.
CONCLUSION
The above behavior patterns are just leads to trigger investigation into these issues. The so called mega scandals started as small incidences of corruption like these ones and grew into monsters. KACC, being on the forefront against corruption should do something and make likeminded Kenyans proud.
Mkenya Mzalendo
X-Files Kenya
April 6, 2011 at 10:34 am
Hey Administrator,
I love your work/articles. Together we can fight corruption. Will appreciate if you join me here : http://www.xfileskenya.org/ and give me permission to publish most of your work.
Thanks