Five Homa Bay officials arrested in purge on graft

Five of the seven Homa Bay County Assembly officials and former workers wanted in Sh26m fraud have been arrested.

The suspects have been locked up at Homa Bay Police Station.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji had ordered for the arrest and prosecution of the seven officials.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives were Thursday still looking for county assembly clerk Bob Kephers and principal accountant Maurice Amek after they escaped arrest.

ON THE RUN

EACC Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Mubea told the Nation by phone that they are holding five suspects at the Homa Bay Police Station while Mr Amek and Mr Kephers are still on the run for fear of arrest.

"We are perusing two suspects who fled arrest while we are preparing to arraign those arrested [and] charge them over graft," said Mr Mubea.

Those arrested are Caroline Sang (principal finance officer), Edwin Omondi Okollo (senior accounts controller), Micahel Owino Ooro (former majority leader), Isaac Ouso Nyandege (former minority leader) and Judith Akinyl Omongi (currently nominated MCA and former member of the county assembly board).

Detectives are still pursuing county assembly clerk Otieno Bob Kephas and Maurice Odiwour Amek, a senior accountant.

Relatives of the suspects camped at the Homa Bay Police Station as they sought to know why they had been arrested.

SEARCH FOR SUSPECTS

According to EACC detectives, the suspects were arrest at dawn Thursday. The detectives combed both the rural and town homes of the two suspects who evaded their dragnet.

Speaker Elizabeth Ayoo who could not be reached had told the Nation in an earlier interview that the probe that has led to the arrest of the suspects was initiated in the last assembly before she took over.

"The current EACC probe into the assembly was initiated long before I became the Speaker," said Ms Ayoo.

The probe that has led to the arrests was initiated by the then EACC South Nyanza Director Abraham Kemboi over a Sh450 million loss in the House through unscrupulous operations.

The leadership crisis in the assembly has been deepened by infighting and bribery claims among the MCAs.

On Tuesday, the MCAs openly fought and bickered while accusing one another of receiving Sh3 million in bribery in order to pass the county budget.

Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang' termed the arrests as timely, saying graft-related cases have been a stumbling block to the progress of the county.

"I commend the DPP for ordering the arrest. This is timely because corruption-related issues have dragged the county back," said Senator Kajwang'.