Embattled Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal is spending sleepless nights after the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) reportedly applied to have him surrender four of his Karen properties to the state.
The Business Daily reported on Monday, September 16, that the anti-graft agency had written to court asking the governor to forfeit the four unnamed properties in Karen in addition to Ksh14.6 million in his bank account.
This was after the investigation concluded that the targeted properties had been purchased using public funds.
The investigators are reported to have told the court in the application that they had established that about Ksh1.6 billion was embezzled between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018.
This is said to have been orchestrated through the governor and other officials of Samburu County trading with their companies or in collusion with other private companies to defraud the taxpayer.
The Business Daily reported that in one case, Oryx Service Station supplied fuel to the county government between 2014 and 2019, a period in which Lenolkulal and the company received in excess Ksh80.7 million for the provision of petrol and diesel.
Lenolkulal is alleged to have purchased the controversial properties in Karen on July 8, 2015, a period that is under scrutiny by the EACC.
Also certified as urgent is an application to have the freeze order on the governor’s properties and two other bank accounts extended.
The commission argued that if the freeze order was lifted, the governor was likely to dispose of, lease or develop the parcels of land.
Lenolkulal is in court battling allegations of corruption and economic crimes and conflict of interest together with key officials of the Samburu County government.
The governor has been charged alongside nine others county officer who include the county secretary, Stephen Siringa, and eight chief officers.
The application by EACC will be heard on September 17.
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