Nairobi, Kenya: Former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has vehemently denied charges of abusing his office after his arrest on Thursday night. He stands accused of engaging private consultants against a Cabinet decision and appeared in court alongside ex-Tourism Principal Secretary Leah Gwiyo in Malindi.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) alleges that Balala and Gwiyo authorized a staggering Sh3.4 billion for consultancy services during the early stages of the construction of Utalii College’s Kilifi campus back in 2010. The prosecution contends that the duo improperly conferred a benefit to private consultants, directly contravening a Cabinet decision made on December 13, 2010.
Central to the scandal are several private consultants, including Baseline Architects Ltd, Ujenzi Consultants, Armitech Consulting Engineering, and West Consult Consulting Engineers, who allegedly played a pivotal role in the controversy. In addition to Balala and Gwiyo, EACC detectives also arrested Joseph Odero, an engineer from West Consult Engineers.
According to EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, Balala was flown to Mombasa by the agency before being transported to Malindi by road. The net cast by the investigation also includes officials from the Procurement and Finance departments. Allegations indicate that the group faces up to 10 charges related to the irregular payment of Sh8.5 billion from the Tourism Fund for the establishment of the Coast branch of the Kenya Utalii College, later renamed Ronald Ngala Utalii College.
“The DPP approved charges, leading to their arrest and subsequent court appearance,” remarked the EACC Spokesman, confirming corruption and economic crimes, including procurement fraud and misappropriation of public funds. Investigations unearthed a series of procurement irregularities that caused the projected cost of the college to soar exponentially from an initial Sh1.95 billion to an astounding Sh10.4 billion.
As the legal process unfolds, Najib Balala awaits the ruling on his bail application, vigorously denying the allegations and maintaining his innocence amid these shocking revelations.
