By Peter Ochieng
Former Murang’a governor Mwangi Wa Iria is not resting easy.
The former county boss will on Wednesday appear before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for questioning over procurement fraud allegations.
He was scheduled to appear before the anti-graft body on Tuesday, only for his lawyers to show up with a request that he be allowed to do so on Wednesday, from 8am.
He is among eight people expected to be charged by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), over claims of Sh140 million procurement fraud.
The crime reportedly happened between 2015 and 2016, at the Murang’a county government.
He served as Murang’a county boss for two terms, from 2013 to 2022.
EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi said they received Wa Iria’s request to appear on Wednesday, and accepted it.
“Former Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has responded to the commission’s order to appear by sending their advocates to request for re-scheduling of his appearance from Tuesday, 16th April, 2024 to Wednesday 17th April, 2024, 8am. The Commission has considered and accepted the request,” he stated in a statement.
Wa Iria had declared his bid for the 2022 presidential contest but in the end, only four hopefuls were allowed to vie.
They were William Ruto, Raila Odinga, George Wajackoyah and Waihiga Mwaure. Ruto of course won the race to become Kenya’s 5th President.
The DPP in an earlier statement said Wa Iria and the other seven are accused of irregularly awarding tenders and other procurement irregularities, totaling the Sh140 million.
The DPP said that investigations carried out by EACC revealed, that the suspects fraudulently awarded tenders to Top Image Media Consultancy Limited and Value View Limited with disregard to conflict of interest.
The seven other persons of interest are Patrick Kagumu Mukuria, Jane Wanjiru Mbuthia, David Maina Kiama, David Mamma Njeri, Jane Waigwe Kimani, Solomon Mutura Kimani and Peter Muturi Karanja.
Meanwhile, Mzalendo Kibunja and four others on Tuesday denied corruption charges levelled against them.
Kibunja, the former National Museums of Kenya Director General (DG) was arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts alongside the four co-accused over alleged embezzlement of public funds amounting to Sh491 million.
The others are: Stanvas Ogalo who was the Director of Human Resources and Administration, Oliver Okinyi (Payroll ICT Officer), Wycliffe Ongata (Payroll ICT Officer) and Oscar Mwaura, a private individual.
Before Senior Principal Magistrate Victor Wakhumile, they were charged with conspiracy to commit an offence of corruption, abuse of office, money laundering, acquisition of proceeds of crime, and financial misconduct among others.
They allegedly conspired to embezzle the money by arranging to fraudulently include on the payroll, names of persons claimed to be employees of the National Museums of Kenya.