The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducted a raid at the residence of a high-ranking Nairobi County official from the Urban Planning Department amid an ongoing probe into suspected corruption.
Reports indicate that EACC investigators executed the operation during the morning of Thursday, June 4, securing critical evidence connected to the investigation.
The commission stated, ‘EACC successfully carried out a search at the home of Patrick Analo Akivaga, Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning at Nairobi City County Government, as part of continuous investigations into suspected corruption and financial crimes within the County.’
The search operation produced significant findings, with investigators discovering Ksh51,300,000 and US$113,000 (equivalent to Ksh14 million), resulting in a total cash seizure of approximately Ksh65.3 million.
The funds were reportedly found at the suspect’s residence in Syokimau, Machakos County, and in the trunk of his automobile.
During the raid, authorities recovered substantial amounts of cash concealed within two travel suitcases, which have been confiscated as evidence.
Authorities also obtained other items potentially vital to the investigation, including multiple property titles, vehicle registration documents, laptops, land and car sale contracts, and approved planning documents from Nairobi County Government.
Additional confiscated items comprise mobile phones, iPads, electronic accessories, and numerous documents, all now integral to the continuing investigation.
The retrieved funds and evidence remain under EACC custody as investigators pursue further inquiry into the case.
Nairobi County’s administration has encountered a protracted history of financial controversies extending more than a decade, involving multiple high-ranking officials being arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for suspected embezzlement of public funds amounting to billions of shillings.
Former Governor Evans Kidero and other senior officials were detained in August 2018 concerning a Ksh213 million fraud conspiracy, with supplementary allegations brought in April 2019 regarding improper payments.
Following a five-year legal proceeding, a decision was rendered that prosecutors failed to demonstrate his personal authorization or receipt of the questionable funds.
Chief Finance Officer Jimmy Kiamba and County Secretary Lilian Ndegwa received 12-year prison sentences in July 2022 after the High Court reversed a prior acquittal in a Ksh18 million procurement corruption case.
Most recently, City Hall has confronted new accusations of misappropriating up to Ksh21 billion in legal fees, with critics alleging officials made preferential payments to selected law firms. These relate to inherited obligations dating back twenty years.