EACC Moves to Reclaim Sh1 Billion Proceeds of Corruption from Three State Officials; Njogu, Gikonyo and Osiro

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) has reportedly began the process of recovering Sh1 billion proceeds of corruption from three government officials.

Citizen TV reports that the operation is part of the ongoing purge on corruption sanctioned by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The anti-graft agency said the three Kenyans amassed the cash within a short period of time despite earning less than Sh200,000 each in monthly salaries.

The three suspects are Thomas Gitau Njogu, an assistant accountant at the Ministry of Interior; Joseph Gikonyo, a manager at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) office in Eldoret and Stephen Osiro, former head of accounting at City Hall in Nairobi.

Court papers shows that the first suspect, Njogu, acquired wealth totaling Sh115 million within one year despite only having a monthly salary of Sh97,000.

He allegedly owns a 0.7 acre land in Thome Estate valued at Sh40 million and two 1/8 parcels of land in Kabete where he was constructing apartments worth Sh63 million. 

On the other hand, Joseph Gikonyo has been earning a net monthly salary of Sh119,000 but allegedly failed to account for Sh615 million acquired within a period of eight years. EACC says Gikonyo has heavily invested in three prime plots at the Coast including a six-acre parcel of land in Mtwapa valued at Sh27 million.

The KRA manager is also developing residential houses on a 0.6-acre plot of land in the Nyali suburb of Mombasa valued at Sh125 million and another in Shanzu at a cost of Sh25 million. 

He also owns 12 vacant plots scattered across Nairobi, including a three-bedroom maisonette at Greenspan Estate and another plot where he has built an office block and carwash business.

The third suspect, David Osiro, allegedly acquired wealth amounting to Sh330 million within five years from a monthly salary of only Sh65,000.

Osiro is former Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero’s co-accused in a case where they were charged with defrauding the county of Sh 213 million.

Osiro allegedly has ten properties scattered across Kisumu County listed under his name and others located in Nairobi’s posh regions including Runda, Lavington, Kileleshwa and Mbagathi Road.