The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating alleged Ksh2.6 billion fraud at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.
In a statement on Monday November 25, 2024, EACC Spokesperson Erick Ngumbi noted that university officials at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University allegedly colluded with consultants and contractors to defraud the university of the said amount of money in the implementation of six capital projects.
“The Commission is investigating allegations of procurement irregularities and theft of public funds involving payment of 2,613,183,808.12 in the construction of six capital projects at Jaramongi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology,” said Ngumbi.
He noted that payments for those projects have already been done despite the projects being incomplete.
Ngumbi revealed that the anti-graft body has also launched investigations in relation to the recent graduation where it is alleged that some university officials received bribes to facilitate the graduation of over 200 unqualified students.
He added that corruption and unethical conduct have found their way into the Kenyan universities thereby compromising and threatening the quality and standards of education in the country.
According to EACC, students instead of sitting for supplementary examinations at the university, they bribed their way into graduation.
At the same time, Ngumbi disclosed that a search operation has been conducted in the homesteads of the former Vice Chancellor Prof. Stephen Gaya Agong’ in Homa Bay, Kisumu and Nairobi and it was discovered that he carried all the original documents relating to the six capital projects when he retired.
However, he stated that EACC was able to retrieve all those documents and is using them to finalize the investigations.
The EACC Spokesperson made the remarks when he attended the burial of Mama Joyce Oginde, mother to the EACC chairperson Bishop Dr. David Oginde in Ugenya constituency.
He further revealed that a total of 18 public universities including Moi University and the University of Nairobi are under investigations for theft of public funds, unethical conduct and academic fraud.
