The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an investigation into the garbage collection tender in Kilifi County, raising serious concerns about corruption in Governor Gideon Mung’aro’s administration.
The DCI has formally requested documents related to two tenders, one for Mtwapa and another for Malindi, both awarded to Kaereny Construction and Engineering Supplies Limited.
The firm, linked to businessman Francis Ngala, has been accused of securing the contracts through bribery and political connections rather than merit.
According to the DCI letter, the investigation is focused on a suspected conspiracy to defraud the county through the waste collection contracts.
The agency has asked for detailed records, including bid documents, budget approvals, tender committee minutes, inspection reports, and payment vouchers.
The involvement of multiple county departments, including accounting, procurement, lands, and water, suggests that corruption in the tendering process is deeply rooted within Kilifi’s government.
Ngala, who is a close associate of Governor Mung’aro, is believed to have played a key role in influencing the tender process. His company, Kaereny Construction, has a track record of poor service delivery but continues to receive lucrative contracts.
Despite lacking the necessary qualifications, the firm allegedly used bribes to secure approvals from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and county officials.
The ongoing investigation has exposed deeper corruption in Kilifi, where well-connected individuals use proxy companies to loot public funds.
A whistleblower has claimed that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and DCI officers stationed in the county have been compromised, making it difficult to obtain credible reports on financial mismanagement.
There are allegations that county officials deliberately removed a garbage collection tender advertisement from their website to obstruct investigations.
The power struggles within the county government have also come to light. One of the key figures, Ali Noor, is said to control several companies that supply food and non-pharmaceutical products to Kilifi County.
Noor, who has political ambitions in Mandera East, has allegedly funneled millions of shillings into fraudulent contracts, with part of the money intended to finance Governor Mung’aro’s 2027 re-election campaign.
He is also accused of manipulating the finance department to install his loyalists, including Engineer Hezekiah Mwaruwa and Yahye Shoshi, in key positions.
A feud between Ali Noor and Francis Ngala escalated when Noor demanded a subcontract in the garbage collection business, which Ngala refused. Ngala, who has a loan with NCBA Bank for purchasing garbage trucks, has struggled to secure payments from the county.
Noor reportedly threatened him, boasting about his influence over the governor and the county’s financial operations. The corruption in Kilifi has taken a dark turn, with reports of an abduction plot targeting a whistleblower who has been exposing the fraudulent dealings.
Intelligence sources indicate that the planned abduction is set for late February, with CCTV footage capturing a meeting between a senior police officer and a contractor in Nyali.
During the meeting, a large sum of money is believed to have exchanged hands, raising suspicions that it was a payment for an assassination attempt.
Kilifi County has become a hotspot for corruption, with public funds being funneled into personal bank accounts while essential services such as garbage collection remain in a deplorable state.
The ongoing DCI investigation could expose a well-organized network of fraudsters operating within the county government, but only if the officers involved remain independent and uncompromised. If nothing is done, Kilifi residents will continue to suffer as corrupt officials enrich themselves through shady deals.
Add Comment