The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has reportedly launched preliminary investigations into Busia County’s Finance docket following serious allegations of massive looting of public funds involving Chief Finance Officer Topister Wanyama and her Chief Officer Gibson Wafula.
The two top officials are facing imminent impeachment after Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) signed a motion citing at least four key corruption claims, ranging from fraudulent procurement, deliberate manipulation of revenue collection systems, and budget process sabotage to misappropriation of statutory deductions.
According to the motion, the officials are accused of irregularly acquiring the JamboPay revenue system at an inflated cost of KSh 49 million, raising procurement red flags.
Additionally, they are said to be overseeing a scheme in which revenue collection systems are only activated between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM daily, after which revenue is collected manually and funneled through private M-PESA accounts—allegedly resulting in massive leakages.
The EACC, which has intensified scrutiny on financial operations in county governments, is said to be monitoring the situation closely.
A source at Integrity Centre who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the investigations stated: “The Busia case is on our radar. We have received credible complaints, and once the impeachment process concludes, we will determine whether to open a full probe.”
The motion also accuses the finance department of delaying the presentation of budget documents to MCAs to allow rushed approval and unchecked allocation of public resources.
Moreover, the officials have allegedly failed to remit statutory deductions and medical insurance payments for county employees, instead channeling the funds to ghost projects not reflected in the official budget.
The County Assembly has vowed to push the motion to its full conclusion, and should it pass, it is expected to pave the way for legal proceedings by the EACC and other oversight agencies.
