Court Orders Former Tourism PS Rebecca Nabutola to Refund Sh8.9 Million Obtained Fraudulently from Gov’t

The High Court has ordered former Tourism Principal Secretary Rebecca Nabutola and two others to refund Sh8.9 million acquired fraudulently from the government.

Nabutola, Dr. Ong’ong’a Achieng (CEO, Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees) and Duncan Muriuki (Director, Maniago Safaris) embezzled Sh8,925,440 in 2007 by irregularly procuring services to organize a 'Permanent Secretaries’ trip to Maasai Mara and a breakfast meeting for the Minister for Tourism, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

"Investigations established that the public funds in the sum of Sh8,925,440 were paid by Catering and Tourism Development Levy Trustees (CTDLT) on behalf of KTB to Maniago Safaris despite event expenses having already been met by Kenya Association of Tourism Operators (KATO)," EACC said in a statement on Friday.

"Investigations further revealed that the tender award to Maniago Safaris as Agents to organize the Permanent Secretaries’ trip was done exclusively by Rebecca Nabutola, then PS for Tourism, Dr. Ong’ong’a Achieng, and Duncan Muriuki without the involvement of KTB, its Tender Committees or the Ministry of Tourism."

By failing to follow the laid-out procurement procedures the three defrauded KTB, EACC added. After getting wind of the fraud allegations, EACC filed a suit before the High Court to have the three remit the said funds.

Upon hearing the case, Justice Esther Maina of the High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division ruled in favor of EACC, ordering the defendants to jointly and severally pay the cash together with costs and interest at court rates.