The Anti-Corruption Court has temporarily stopped the Kiambu County Government from paying Ksh166 million to a private firm over a disputed Ksh230 million tender, following revelations of falsified documents and irregular procurement.
In a ruling by Justice Lucy Njuguna, the court directed that the freeze remain in effect for 14 days, pending a full hearing on November 13.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) uncovered that the firm had secured the lucrative contract using fake audited financial statements and doctored bank records to depict a strong financial standing.
The tender, issued in March 2023, involved the development and installation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for the county. Investigations further revealed that the company also submitted false employee credentials and irregularly obtained a one-year contract extension after its initial six-month term expired.
According to EACC, senior county officials from the departments of Revenue, Supply Chain Management, ICT, and Internal Audit approved the contract extension despite the lapse, violating procurement laws.
So far, the firm has already received Ksh63 million, which the EACC now seeks to recover while blocking payment of the remaining Ksh166 million.
The case, filed on October 28, adds to a growing list of corruption-related probes targeting county tenders across the country. The Kiambu County Government is yet to issue an official response.
