DPP Noordin Haji Orders Arrest of Treasury CS Henry Rotich

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji on Monday ordered the arrest of Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich in connection with the alleged loss of Sh19 billion in the Arror and Kimwarer dams’ scandal.

Haji ordered for the arrest of Rotich and 27 other suspects believed to have been involved in a scheme that led to the loss of taxpayers’ cash.

Addressing the press, Haji said investigations launched in September 2018 established that procurement laws were circumvented in order to award the tender for the building of the two dams to bankrupt Italian company named CMC Di Ravenna.

“Upon investigations by the DCI, it was established that the conception, procurement and payment process for the Arror and Kimwarer Dam projects in Elgeyo Marakwet County were riddled with massive illegalities,” said Haji.

“The investigations established that government officials flouted all procurement rules and abused their oath of office to ensure the scheme went through.”

Haji noted that a contract signed between Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) and CMC Di Ravenna stated that Kimwarer Dam would cost about Sh20 billion while Arror Dam would cost Sh25 billion.

However, officials from the National Treasury negotiated a commercial facility, increasing the combined amount for the two projects to Sh63 billion instead of about Sh45 billion.

Haji also directed the arrest of Treasury Principal Secretary Kamau Thugge, Susan Jemtai Koech (PS, Ministry of East African Community), David Kipchumba Kimosop (Former Managing Director, KVDA), Kennedy Nyakundi Nyachiro (Chief Economist and Head of Europe II Division, National Treasury) and Jackson Njau Kinyanjui  (Director Resource Mobilization Department, National Treasury) among others.
 
The suspects will be charged with conspiracy to defraud, willful failure to comply with applicable procurement procedures, abuse of office, and fraudulent acquisition of public property among others.

CS Rotich and PS Thugge have since presented themselves to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).