County administrator, chiefs accused of stealing solar panels meant for water project

A Deputy County Commissioner and three chiefs in Murang'a are being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) for allegedly stealing 64 solar panels meant for a community water project.

They are suspected of jointly executing the plan to steal the panels worth Sh2.3 million from the Ngatho water project in Ithanga/Kakuzi, Murang’a County leaving at least 10,000 residents lacking clean water.

The investigations commenced on September 7, 2022 when the theft was discovered but went quiet until last week when residents pressurised the government to act by threatening to stage public protests.

Now, Ithanga/Kakuzi Police boss Patrick Nyaanga has confirmed reactivation of the investigations.

On Thursday, Mr Nyaanga told Nation.Africa that "we are now actively investigating the case with a view of charging those found culpable".

He said that area DCI, at the advice of his office, has been told to conclude the investigations and those incriminated be charged in court.

Nation understands that the sleuths have recorded 11 statements from suspects believed to bear higher culpability.

"We are yet to record the statements of the four key suspects serving as National government administration officers owing to sensitivity of their offices. We are waiting for clearance from our county security committee," said a detective privy to the investigations.

The county security committee is chaired by commissioner Karuku Ngumo who kept off responding on the issue.

Among the suspects who have recorded statements is a man who was arrested in possession of one of the solar panels.

"...it is my confession that this panel was sold me by a man well known to me and is currently serving as a chief in my home area," his statement, which Nation has seen, reads.

Police said that arresting the suspect on grounds of his confession will be premature since the chief has to first record a statement "and that is why county security leadership is very critical in this matter".

The investigation file details the plot to steal the panels to have been elaborate and well-choreographed.

The officers note that "it is not clear why a project that only needed seven panels had been allocated 64 of 320 watts each".

Immediately the panels were delivered, seven were said to be faulty and had to be taken for repair. The investigators say they do not know how panels that had not been tested were judged to be faulty.

To date, they are yet to be brought back.

"When seven others were fitted to run the water project, they were stolen leaving behind 53 that were being stored at a nearby chief's camp. It is from this chief’s office that 23 more were stolen without any break in," the investigation report reads.

The detectives note that it is only the chief who had the key to the store "and was seen by several people opening it to allow admission three other people who were in an official vehicle".

During the night raid, a witness statement alleges that "there was a senior officer who was being chauffeured, accompanied by a police officer attached to the chief's camp and two other chiefs".

Another statement by the police officer on duty states that "I was called by a senior administration officer advising me to leave the place during the night and ensure the chief had the key to the store".

He adds that "I heard the following morning that the panels had been stolen. I had taken the orders to vacate guarding the place on grounds that there was a swoop in chang'aa dens that was to be conducted and needed all officers' participation".

After the theft at the chief's camp, the rest were removed from the store and the residents were left staring at a crucial dysfunctional water project which has remained dormant to date.

The Ngatho water project had been unveiled by the government on August 8, 2020 to alleviate water scarcity in the neighbourhood. 

Residents had reported a cholera outbreak in earlier years owing to relying on contaminated water for consumption.

Leading a government delegation to unveil the project, the then Principal Secretary Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Joseph Wairagu said it was meant to eradicate waterborne diseases in the area by enhancing access to hygienic water.

The project entailed drilled borehole with a yield of 25,000 litres per hour to be pumped using the solar panels to serve more than 10,000 residents.

Owing to the thefts, the remaining 30 panels have been removed and placed in the safety of Ithanga Police station.

Joseph Nduva, a member of area residents association said "it was very clear that these panels were here to be stolen by the security officers in the administration wing of government".

He said that all efforts to have the water project remain operational were sabotaged by the administrators to a point "even when we suggested that we be guarding the facility in turns, we were warned that any plan to form Mungiki in the area will be met by arrests".

He said community effort to guard their water project was dismissed by security officers as a plan to form Mungiki.

"We asked the government to provide us with security for our water project to run but we were told to wait until the general elections were over...and we are here as victims of theft and no safe water to drink," he said.

Mr Nyaanga said the case is being treated as urgent, important and sensitive.

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