How Prisons worker used part of Sh257m pay for ‘supplying nothing’
Eric Kipkurui Mutai who is under investigation for corruption.
What you need to know:
- Mr Mutai is believed to have received the money through seven trading companies, which allegedly conducted business with prisons in Nairobi.
- Investigations by EACC established that Mr Mutai traded with his employer and through his seven companies.
An employee who allegedly received Sh257 million from the State Department for Correctional Services for supplying nothing used part of the loot to purchase property for a colleague who worked in the accounts section.
According to documents filed in court by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Eric Kipkurui Mutai withdrew Sh133 million in cash for unspecified purposes.
He then used the balance to buy property, including land in Kericho/Kipchimchim, which he registered in his father’s name, the documents further show.
Mr Mutai, a cleaning supervisor, is believed to have received the money through seven trading companies, which allegedly conducted business with prisons in Nairobi.
A firm named Unique Supplies is said to have received Sh73 million, Homex Logistics Sh62 million, Hygienic Ventures Sh51 million, Nerimas General Agencies Sh22 million, White Unicorn Logistics Sh10 million, Trechris Services Sh13. 6 million and Facton Logistics Sh13 million.
Through Fatcon Logistics, the court documents show the suspect credited a sum of Sh6 million into the accounts of Signature Cars after purchasing a vehicle and paying Sh675,110 to Jubilee Insurance.
Through Unique Supplies, Mr Mutai used Sh8.5 million to purchase a house from the Housing Finance Company of Kenya for colleague Moses Sirengo (principal accountant), the documents further show.
Mr Mutai is also said to have used Sh15 million to pay Mathew Kirago and Koskey Cheruiyot (Sh2 million) and Ephraim Wanjohi (Sh5 million) for business premises and land.
KAMI Ltd received Sh2.1 million for the sale of a motor vehicle, while Signature Cars received Sh800,110.
Through Homex Logistics, Mr Mutai paid Erick Chumba Sh1.8 million, Mr Kirago received a further Sh15 million and Mr Wanjohi a further Sh5 million for business premises.
DT Dobie and CO.Ke Ltd were reportedly paid Sh10.1 million after sale of a business vehicle while Mr Joseph Ndung’u was paid Sh750,000 for an undisclosed service or item. Mr Mutai also paid Toyota Kenya Sh6.4 million for a motor vehicle.
Through Hygienic Ventures, Mr Mutai is said to have paid Mr Wanjohi an additional Sh7.5 million for business premises while Mr Kirago got an additional Sh13 million for business property.
Executive Super Rides Ltd was paid Sh3.3 million for what the anti-corruption watchdog describes as a business motor, Koskey Cheruiyot Sh1 million as deposit for a plot and Jubilee Insurance an additional Sh675,110.
Investigations by EACC established that Mr Mutai traded with his employer and through his seven companies, irregularly received a total of Sh257,220,500 for goods not supplied.
“He used false documents to confer a benefit to himself and his colleague, Mr Moses Sirengo. He abused his office by conferring a benefit to himself,” says the EACC in court papers.
Supply of food and rations
Mr Mutai’s firms were allegedly paid for the supply of food and rations to seven prisons in Nairobi. The EACC, however, says that nothing was supplied.
The prisons the suspect is said to have transacted with include Kamiti Main Prison, Nairobi Remand, Nairobi West Prison, Langata Women’s, Kamiti Medium, Kamiti YCTC and Nairobi Medium.
“He disguised himself with the support of colleagues as a ghost supplier by using false documents to plan, execute and confer to himself a benefit in contravention of the constitution, the Public Officers Ethics Act and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (yet he is) a public officer,” the agency states.
Mr Mutai has been an employee of Prisons since 2009. In 2017, he was employed as senior support staff based at the procurement section in Teleposta Towers.
Documents indicate Homex was paid for supplying vegetables while Hygienic Ventures was paid for the supply of hair and sanitary products. Facton is said to have been paid for consulting services on constitutional law and Unique Supplies for groceries.
Investigators were yet to establish what Nerimas and White Unicorn were alleged to have supplied, but Trechris was said to have been paid for “supply of goods”.
“The investigations established that the above companies did not supply food rations to the respective prisons and that the payment vouchers did not originate from the said prisons.
“There are no attached local purchase orders or inspection and acceptance committee certificates in the payment vouchers,” says the EACC.
The EACC also found that none of the deliveries indicated or the payment vouchers attached was recorded in the prisons’ books. It was further established that the delivery notes had no names of the receiving officers, which should have been included.
