A private consultancy firm at the centre of ongoing investigations into Sh2.2 billion corruption scandal at Moi University is believed to have been used by top officials to siphon the funds.
Yesterday, Vice-Chancellor Prof Isaac Kosgey was grilled for over eight hours by the Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives at the commission offices in Eldoret.
EACC is investigating top university officials, including Prof Kosgey and the university council, over reports of irregularly procuring private consultants at exorbitant costs, deliberately avoiding the free services of existing government professionals from the Ministry of Public Works.
The private firm at the centre of the ongoing investigation, has been engaged by the university over the last seven years and reportedly aided top university officials to execute corruption scams in the said Sh2.2 infrastructural projects.
The Nation has established that detectives are investigating top university officials who have for the last seven years irregularly engaged the private consultancy firm linked to influential personalities associated with the university, to procure services for key projects contrary to the procurement laws from 2017 to date.
“We want to establish how the firm was solely awarded the tender for the projects which could otherwise be done by the Ministry of Public Works at lower rates,” an EACC official at the North Rift regional office told the Nation when we reached out.
The anti-corruption commission has interrogated and recorded statements from 58 persons of interest, with more scheduled to appear for questioning in the coming weeks.
The commission commenced investigations in June after receiving a report that senior officials at the university had colluded with private consultants in a fraudulent scheme.
Prof Kosgey, who is the CEO and accounting officer of the institution, was yesterday holed up in a session with the anti-graft detectives even as the EACC summoned university council chairman Dr Humphrey Njuguna and three council members for questioning next week.
The three council members are Prof Clara Momanyi, Mr Charles Obiero and Mr Isaac Memusi.
The summons was signed by EACC North Rift Regional Manager Charles Rasugu, on behalf of CEO Twalib Mbarak.
The anti-graft commission is investigating among others, allegations of corruption and procurement irregularities by officials of the university in the proposed construction of the third and fourth floors of the School of Public Health, Dentistry and Nursing, and related works at the College of Sciences involving Sh726 million.
Further investigations involve the expenditure of Sh148 million on electrical works at the School of Public Health, Dentistry, and Nursing and related works at the College of Health Sciences, as well as a plumbing, drainage, and firefighting tender which was unresponsive.
The commission is also investigating alleged corruption in the proposed construction of the library in Phase II at the university’s Annex Campus to Builders & Associates Civil Engineering Works at a contract sum of approximately Sh1.1 billion, and electrical installation works at a contract sum of Sh169 million.
For the same project, the plumbing, drainage and firefighting tender, which was unresponsive, and the mechanical ventilation and air conditioning installation works at a contract sum of Sh35 million are also a subject of the ongoing probe.
Also under investigation is a request for a proposal for design preparation of bidding documents and construction supervision at the Amphitheatre Building at the main campus, a request for a proposal to procure consultancy services for the design review tender documents and supervision of the proposed digital innovation centre, relocation of the main gate and completion of the workshop building.
The commission is looking into the proposal for consultancy services for the re-designing, preparation of bidding documents, and supervision of the construction of Library Phase II at Moi University Annex Campus.
The Nation confirmed through EACC spokesman Eric Ngumbi that three officials, including Chief Accountant Egla Samoei, Head of Procurement Wilson Bett and Head of Development Unit Moses Kipkulei recorded their statements on Tuesday.
Mr Ngumbi said besides the allegations of presiding over a corruption den, Prof Kosgei also faces accusations of attempting to interfere with the ongoing investigations and obstructing the commission by failing to submit crucial documents despite several reminders.
