Bomet Senator Backs County Leadership Purge Over Corruption
Bomet County Senator Wakili Hillary Sigei has thrown his support behind the ongoing crackdown on county executives accused of graft, highlighting corruption as a major obstacle to Kenya’s development. Speaking on a local television talk show on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Sigei emphasized that corrupt practices are not confined to the national government but have also permeated devolved units, threatening service delivery and public trust.
Senator Sigei noted that the prosecution of sitting and former governors underscores the seriousness of the problem. He cited the cases of Bomet Governor Hillary Barchok and former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, who are expected to take pleas in court over alleged graft, as examples of investigative agencies tackling real and substantive cases. According to Sigei, most corruption within counties arises from questionable procurement deals, with conflicts of interest and mismanaged contracts often at the heart of allegations.
The senator’s statement coincides with intensified efforts by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and other investigative bodies targeting county executives. Sigei argued that the high-profile prosecutions send a clear message that mismanagement of public funds will not be tolerated. With billions of shillings allocated annually to counties for development, the crackdown is viewed as a critical test of Kenya’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and the effective implementation of devolution.