Sunrise Center in Migori town is among properties recovered by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission from former Migori governor Okoth Obado's proxy Jared Kwaga.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has begun the process of auctioning 10 high-value properties seized from four suspects, including associates of former Migori governor Okoth Obado, in a bid to recover Sh505 million allegedly misappropriated from public funds.
The EACC has appointed three auctioneers — Galaxy, Keysian, and Astorion — to sell properties owned by Jared Kwaga, Joram Otieno, Caroline Obwa and Otago Ojuki.
Mr Kwaga and Mr Otieno were charged alongside Mr Obado and 13 others at the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court for irregular acquisition of public funds totaling Sh505 million from the Migori County government.
They faced charges of economic crimes, money laundering and unlawful acquisition of public property between 2013 and 2017.
Court filings reveal that the suspects acquired the contested wealth through companies contracted by the county government to supply various goods and services during Mr Obado’s tenure. Investigations by the EACC uncovered that these companies were used to siphon funds through fictitious procurement contracts and other fraudulent schemes.
The properties being auctioned form part of the assets forfeited by Mr Obado and his co-accused as part of a plea bargain agreement, which sought to resolve the corruption case through alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.
According to EACC documents, the properties set for auction are located in Nairobi, Kisumu, and Migori counties.
Mr Kwaga will lose six properties, including a maisonette and two two-bedroom apartments in Nairobi’s Savannah Road within Greenspan Estate, as well as residential houses in Suna East/Wasweta, Migori.
The Migori plot is developed with two identical residential blocks, each containing 10 apartments.
Unexplained assets
Additionally, he will forfeit a storeyed office block known as Sunrise Centre located in Suna along the Migori-Kisii road.
The property includes two detached commercial buildings. Another property belonging to Mr Kwaga in Loresho Ridge Estate, Mountain View area, Nairobi — described as Town House No. C-1 — will also be auctioned.
Mr Otieno is set to lose a 0.119-acre plot in Suna East/Wasweta, along the Migori Town-Isebania highway. The plot is developed with two identical blocks of one-bedroom rental units and accompanying site works.
Ms Obwa will forfeit two properties: a three-bedroom apartment in Riara, Nairobi and a parcel of land in Kisumu municipality.
The Kisumu property, located within Savannah Court in Lolwe Estate, is developed with a four-storey block of flats. She was previously sued by the EACC alongside former Nairobi County head of accounting Stephen Ogaga Osiro in a recovery suit involving Sh318 million.
Mr Ojuki will lose a property designed for office use in Kamagambo, Rongo township, off the Rongo town-Homa Bay road.
The plot comprises a three-bedroom bungalow, a block of three semi-detached two-bedroom rental units, and a block of two semi-detached two-bedroom rental units.
Proceeds from the auction will be returned to the public development budget, funding essential services such as healthcare and education.
The auction coincides with the EACC’s increased use and promotion of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms in recovering illegally acquired wealth.
The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act empowers the commission to engage individuals in possession of unexplained assets or suspected of illegal acquisition of public property, enabling recovery without lengthy court proceedings.
