The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained orders from the court to seize assets worth Ksh 91,202,892 belonging to former Machakos County CEC Urbanus Wambua Musyoka.
According to the court, the assets could be proceeds of corruption during his stay at Machakos County between January 2014 and July 2021.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained Orders from the High Court to seize unexplained assets worth Kes91,202,892 belonging to former Machakos County Executive Committee (CEC) Member Urbanus Wambua Musyoka, which the Court found to have been acquired through corruption, when the official served in the County Government between January 2014 and July 2021.
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The said assets consist of a Residential Building on L.R No. Kibauni/Kamuthwa/168, valued at Kes 80,251,815, and Kes10,951,077 in cash transacted through Musyoka’s Co-operative Bank Account No. 01116005777600 and Equity Bank Account No. 0670191770235.
The judgement was delivered by Justice P.J. Otieno on Monday, bringing to an end one of two recovery suits in which EACC is pursuing Musyoka’s unexplained wealth and proceeds of corruption cumulatively valued at over Kes540 million. The second recovery suit valued at over Kes450 million is ongoing before the High Court.
EACC moved to Court after Musyoka, who served as the CEC member for Agriculture, Food Security, and Cooperative Development as well as Chairperson of the defunct County Tender Committee, failed to satisfactorily explain the disproportion between the listed assets and his known legitimate source of income.
Investigations established as follows: i) That during the period of interest, January 2014 to July 2021, Urbanus Wambua Musyoka benefited from fraudulent tenders awarded to companies owned by his wife Fiona Muthoki Mutisya, brother Antony Mbindyo Musyoka and close associates which received a total of Kes457,047,214.80, being proceeds of crime.
The companies include Wafih International Limited, Wisdom Holdings Limited, Kikoto General Merchants and Wemmar Enterprises. ii) Musyoka was the beneficial owner of the monies paid by the Machakos County Government to the companies as he operated the bank accounts as a sole signatory. iii) The four companies did not pay taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and as such, they owed KRA a total sum of Kes181,722,145 as unpaid taxes.
Notably, Musyoka and his co-accused were charged over the illicit transactions. They were arrested in November 2023 and arraigned before the Machakos Anti-Corruption Court, where they denied charges of conflict of interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, willful failure to comply with laws relating to procurement, fraudulent practice in procurement and uttering false documents.
The case is ongoing. Besides recommending the prosecution of graft suspects, the Commission will continue to recover any unexplained wealth or proceeds of corruption acquired in betrayal of public trust.” said EACC
