Stephen Letoo, a senior reporter at Citizen TV, has exposed a major corruption scandal in Kenya’s Ministry of Water involving millions of shillings meant for important water projects.
This report, posted on X by Cornelius K. Ronoh reveals the magnitude of the case.
The scandal has raised serious concerns about how public funds are managed, especially under the watch of Water Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa, who is responsible for the ministry’s operations and delivery of water services.
One of the biggest cases in the scandal is the misuse of Ksh. 177 million meant for drilling boreholes in Muranga County. Despite this large amount being spent, the boreholes were either never drilled or remain non-functional. Another example is the Ksh. 443.6 million allocated for constructing the Sagana Bridge, which remains incomplete with reports suggesting the funds were diverted or stolen.
There is also Ksh. 14 million that was supposed to go toward a drilling project in Partakilat, Kilgoris, but this project has been left unfinished for over two years, with unclear land ownership. Citizen TV’s report showed evidence of contractors being paid without delivering any work, along with overpayments and stalled projects.
This level of corruption reveals serious weaknesses in the ministry’s management and oversight .The expose has brought to light how money meant to improve water infrastructure has been lost, leaving communities without access to clean and safe water.
These projects are vital to addressing water shortages, but the stolen funds mean people continue to suffer unnecessarily. The ministry’s failure to deliver these projects on time and within budget highlights a lack of accountability that must be addressed immediately.
Water CS Eric Mugaa’s role will be critical in responding to this scandal, restoring trust, and ensuring that such abuses are stopped in the future.
This corruption case is not new in Kenya’s public sector, where financial mismanagement has repeatedly undermined development efforts. What makes this scandal worse is that it affects water, a basic human need that should be prioritized.
Past cases of corruption in Kenya, including the 2010 water ministry scandal and other financial mismanagement episodes, reveal a pattern of weak controls and impunity.
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