The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched investigations to establish circumstances under which four companies linked to a businessman have been awarded multimillion tenders in various counties and government agencies.
Detectives from the Serious Crimes Unit of the DCI have been on the trail of business transactions of the firms as they try to establish whether tenders awarded to it were through any influence or coercion and whether all the works were undertaken.
The detectives are said to be interested to know why in some instances, some payments were made to the companies in full before the works are complete while in others before any work commences.
DCI boss Mohamed Amin, while confirming that at least three government investigative agencies were on the trail of the companies in question, was quick to point out that no specific crime has been established yet.
“I can’t say that we are investigating the companies over any specific crime at the moment, but we are only trying to verify whether the tenders were awarded through regular procedures and payments made after completion of the works,” Amin said.
Under the microscope of DCI re Wakiwa Company Limited; Beam Ling International Enterprises Limited and Kitale Touch Lodge. Monies paid to the other company are reported to have been wired to an account owned by an individual Wafula Cassina Carlo.
According to documents seen by journalists, Beam Ling International Enterprises Limited was paid Sh 35,924,504 through bank account number 07700004573, Family Bank, Bungoma branch for tarmacking the Kibuku-Kabawa-Chepkitale road in Kitale. Instead of tarmacking the full 21 kilometres as stipulated in the contract documents, the company only undertook 15 kilometres despite having been paid the full amount.
“We want to find out why the company was paid the full amount despite having only done 15 kilometres of the road and left out the other six kilometres. This is shortchanging the taxpayer,” a senior detective at the EACC told journalists.
Another company also associated with the businessman Wafula Cassina Carlo was also awarded a tender for the construction of accessible pit latrines at Rwambiti primary school in Kirinyaga county under the Ministry of Education and paid Sh 2,240,300,00. The money was wired through the Bank of Africa, Thika branch, account number 06057010000.
The detectives are also on the trail of Wakiwa Company Limited, which had three other signatories James Simiyu Wakoli ID 23270755, Wafula Cassina Id number 22152417, John Wafula ID number 12846061 was paid Sh 125, 388,433 through Equity bank, account number 001027939451by the Nairobi County government. The Sh 125, 388,433 was paid on June 19, 2023, after Wakiwa company had been awarded a contract for open street sweeping, waste collection and disposal.
