The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has revealed how an Education Ministry official looted Ksh11.1 million in a year after creating a fake school.
EACC noted in a statement that an employee at the Education Ministry was tasked with the disbursement of government funds to schools meant for the Free Day Secondary Education Programme.
Joshua Momanyi Ocharo created a ghost school named Mundeku Secondary School, purportedly located in Khwisero Sub County, Kakamega County.
“Momanyi, whose duties in the Ministry entailed preparation of Funds Distribution Schedules, added the name of the non-existent school into the payment records, and inserted his personal bank account number, against the ghost school which he represented as a legitimate beneficiary,” read part of the EACC statement.
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The anti-graft commission further stated that the ghost school was created on August 22, 2017 and was allocated funds for one year.
Momanyi had used his bank account details as the school account and therefore got the money disbursed by the Ministry.
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EACC explained that it filed a case in court to recover the funds that the suspect had used to purchase a Toyota Vanguard vehicle and parcels of land in different parts of the country.
“In his ruling, Justice Prof Nixon Sifuna found that Momanyi conceived and executed a fraudulent scheme through which he received Ksh11.1 at the expense of the children of Kenya, who are the beneficiaries of the Free Day Secondary Education funds.”
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“The theft took place on diverse dates between 22nd August 2017 and 18th June 2018,” EACC noted in a statement.
As a result, the commission has forwarded a report to the office of the director of public prosecution (ODPP) with an aim of charging the suspect with corruption.
