Nine individuals, including Kiambu County Governor Kimani  Wamatangi, are the focus of a corruption investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), whose Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, Abdi Mohamud, confirmed the execution of coordinated raids on Tuesday.

The raid culminated in the arrest of the governor over allegations of embezzlement following mounting pressure from a section of residents of Kiambu County.

According to the EACC, officers executed court-sanctioned search warrants at the homes and offices of the suspects as part of an active investigation into allegations of fraudulent procurement transactions and fictitious payments totalling Sh1.5 billion.

The probe centres on suspected abuse of office, conflict of interest, and financial misconduct within the Kiambu County Government.

Among those targeted alongside Governor Wamatangi were County Secretary Peter Njoroge Ndegwa; Nancy Njeri Kirumba, County Executive Committee Member for Finance; Salome Muthoni Wainaina, County Executive Committee Member for Lands and Housing; William Kinyanjui Kimani, Chief Officer Finance; Phyllis Wanjiru Muiruri, Director of Supply Chain; Henry Mburu Waweru, Director of Revenue; Paul Kibe Wangari, a Clerical Officer; and Bernard Kabaiku Theuri, Director of M/s Filtronic International Limited.

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The EACC disclosed that one major area under investigation is the award of a Sh230 million contract to M/s Filtronic International Limited during the 2022/2023 financial year.

The contract covered the “Supply, Delivery, Installation, Testing, Training, Commissioning, and Support Services of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System.”

Additionally, the commission is probing whether county officials “engaged in trading with the County and received payments totalling Sh1.5 billion through irregular procurement processes and fictitious supplies, in violation of public finance management and procurement laws.”

From Governor Wamatangi’s residence, investigators recovered Sh12 million and USD 13,000 in cash, which EACC suspects are proceeds of corruption.

“Today, Tuesday, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) executed search warrants at the residences and offices of nine individuals as part of an ongoing investigation,” the commission said.

EACC stated that the operation yielded critical evidentiary material that will be used to support the ongoing investigations.

“Upon conclusion of the investigation, the findings will guide the appropriate course of action, which may include the prosecution of any individuals found culpable, the forfeiture of unexplained assets, and the confiscation of proceeds linked to corruption,” Abdi said.

Wamatangi was later released before 5 p.m. after spending hours in police custody with his supporters causing chaos at the EACC headquarters demanding his release.

The EACC has not indicated when the investigations will be concluded but affirmed that all recovered evidence is under review.

Any individuals found culpable could face prosecution, asset forfeiture, or confiscation of property linked to the alleged corruption.