An employee of the Kenya Prisons Department is at a huge loss after the Nairobi High Court froze his assets worth Sh257 million over a corruption case involving him.

Eric Kipkurui, an employer of the State Department of Corrections currently employed as a cleaning supervisor, is accused of using several business entities registered to him as conduits for the illegal acquisition of Sh257 million.

Kipkurui allegedly acquired the funds from the prisons department by receiving payment for supplying air.

The Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) filed an application in court seeking to have the properties including vehicles valued at Sh30.5 million and land valued at Sh57 million preserved on grounds of illegal acquisition.

The three land properties in the middle of the scandal are in Nairobi, Kericho and Nyaribari Chache.

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According to the commission, the defendant purchased the properties and vehicles using the proceeds he fraudulently acquired from the prisons department.

"The properties so purchased constitute proceeds of corrupt conduct or corruption which the Applicant is mandated to seek recovery or forfeiture of from the 1st Respondent," the court document reads.

High Court Judge Esther Maina issued the order prohibiting the Kipkurui from dealing with any of the properties that were listed in the application until investigations by the EACC are concluded.

"THAT an order of prohibition be and is hereby issued prohibiting the Respondents jointly and severally, by themselves, their agents, servants or any other persons from transferring, disposing of, or in any other way dealing with the properties listed below pending conclusion of investigations by the Commission," Maina said.

Maina also gave the defendant a period of 7 days to surrender 7 vehicles and all their logbooks failure to which EACC was given the go-ahead to seize them for preservation.

"THAT an order be and is hereby issued requiring the 1st Respondent to surrender Motor Vehicles Registration numbers KCH 360G, KCL 050T, KCH 593S, KCL 125R, KCN 475L, KCN 417B, KCL 778P together with their logbooks to the Applicant within 7 days of this order failing which the Applicant shall be at liberty to seize, tow and detain the Motor Vehicles for purposes of preservation," Maina ruled.

The date for the mention of the case has been set for October 25, 2022.