EACC Raids Busia Officials in Sh1.4 Billion Corruption Probe

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Wednesday launched a major raid targeting six senior officials from the County Government of Busiaover a Sh1.4 billion tender scandal.
 

According to the EACC, the simultaneous raids were conducted at both the offices and private residences of the officials as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged procurement irregularities, conflict of interest, theft of public funds, and unexplained accumulation of wealth.
 

The commission said its investigators are probing tenders worth more than Sh1.4 billion that were allegedly awarded to 26 proxy companies. These firms are said to have been operated by close family members and associates of the suspects, raising concerns over abuse of office and deliberate efforts to loot public resources.
 

The tenders in question span across the Financial Years 2023/2024 and 2024/2025, a period during which investigators believe the suspects amassed significant wealth that far exceeds what their legitimate earnings would suggest. “The suspects are alleged to have amassed unexplained wealth not commensurate with their known legitimate sources of income, thus liable to forfeiture to the Government,” said an official from the EACC.
 

The raid operation, which was conducted under court orders, targeted high-ranking officials in key county departments. Those named in the ongoing investigation include: Topister Nyati Wanyama – County Executive Committee (CEC) Member for Finance and Economic Planning
Peter Khasamule Odima Haris – CEC Member for Housing and Urban Development 

Paul Olung’a Bartholomew Ekwenye – CEC Member for Youth, Sports, Culture, Gender and Creative Arts 

Gypson Ojiambo Wafula – Chief Officer for Finance, ICT and Economic Planning

Evans Wandera Wangata – Director of Budget Leonard Omacha – Director of Supply Chain Management

Following the raids, the six officials were picked up and escorted to the EACC Western Regional Offices. There, they were held for interrogation and statement recording. According to the commission, the search operation was successful and yielded valuable evidentiary material. 

“The operation, which was pursuant to court orders, has yielded valuable evidentiary material that will support the ongoing investigation,” an official confirmed. 

EACC says that the ongoing probe will seek to establish the full extent of the suspected corruption and misappropriation of public funds. Upon conclusion of the investigation, the agency will determine the appropriate legal steps to be taken. 

“The outcome will inform appropriate action including prosecution and recovery of any identified unexplained wealth or proceeds of corruption held by the officers,” added the official.

The magnitude of this case has placed it among the most serious under the EACC’s radar in the region. Notably, this case is just one of 71 ongoing investigations involving Busia County Government officials, all reported within the last year alone. These cases
primarily revolve around allegations of corruption, abuse of office, procurement fraud, and financial mismanagement.
 

As public pressure continues to mount, citizens and anti-corruption advocates are closely monitoring how the authorities will proceed with this particular investigation. The commission’s swift action has been praised by some quarters as a strong signal that impunity may no longer be tolerated in the county governments.

This development also comes amid renewed calls from the national government and civil society organizations urging the EACC to move more aggressively in curbing runaway corruption in devolved units. Many observers see this Busia County case as a potential turning point, especially if it leads to prosecutions and asset recovery.
 

For now, the six officials remain under scrutiny as the EACC continues to piece together financial records, procurement documents, and other evidence gathered during the raids.