Former Machakos CEC under probe over unexplained wealth

The Anti-Corruption Court sitting in Nairobi has obtained orders to freeze Sh11.5 million belonging to a former County Executive at Machakos County government.

This follows Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)’s investigations into claims that the former CEC Mr Urbanus Wambua Musyoka had amassed wealth totaling to over half a billion between January 2014 and July 2021.

He is alleged to have accumulated the wealth through trading with the county government through companies associated with him.

These are M/S Wisdom Holding Limited, M/S Wemmar Entreprise, M/S Wafih International Limited and M/S Kikoto General Merchants.

During the same period under review, the companies also failed to remit taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority amounting to Sh181.7 million.

Investigations established that Mr Wambua’s accumulated wealth was not commensurate with his known sources of income.

“Investigations by the plaintiff (EACC) revealed that he received substantial successive cash deposits in his various bank accounts which he could not satisfactorily demonstrate the source and therefore the commission reasonably suspects that the same were bribes and proceeds of crime received by virtue of his employment at the County government of Machakos,” court documents state.

The accused awarded tenders amounting to Sh531.3 million to the companies listed above and acquired property in the forms of land and residential building valued at Sh105.8 million.

The total cumulative value of all these assets less his salary earned during the period under review amounted to Sh631.5 million which EACC is seeking to recover in two cases filed in court

The commission also obtained orders freezing Sh11.5 million in the accused’s Equity bank account as well as two cars and assets associated with the accused pending hearing and determination of the matter.

An inter parties hearing has been scheduled for Thursday next week.