The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has launched a formal investigation into Bungoma County Government over spending KSh 3.7 million on a Christmas tree lighting event and KSh 2.8 million on a benchmarking trip.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has initiated an investigation into the Bungoma County Government regarding the expenditure of public funds. The probe covers KSh 3.7 million spent on a Christmas tree lighting event in September 2019, three months before the festive season, and approximately KSh 2.8 million for a benchmarking trip undertaken by 22 county assembly members and senior county executive officials to Mbale, Uganda. The combined cost of the two activities is estimated at KSh 6.6 million.
This investigation stems from an invitation by the Senate Public Accounts Committee to scrutinize irregularities noted in the Auditor General's report for Bungoma County. During the Senate review, Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka faced questions on the issues related to the Christmas tree event. According to the report, the funds were drawn from a County Vote through a purported imprest.
The EACC has written to the County Secretary and County Clerk requesting original documents to assist the investigations. Among the requested items are requisitions from user departments, approved budgets and supplementary budgets for the financial years 2019/2020 and 2020/2021, imprest warrants, imprest cashbooks, bank deposit slips, personal files of relevant officials, and all correspondence related to the benchmarking trip and Christmas celebrations.
The letters indicated that Commission officers would be available to receive the documents by February 16, 2026. The EACC cited its mandate under Article 252(1)(a) and (d) of the Constitution and Section 11 of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Act, 2011, as the basis for probing allegations of corruption, fraud, and mismanagement of public funds.
Previously, Bungoma County has faced scrutiny over corruption in contracting processes. Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati was charged with over KSh 31 million in alleged kickbacks from county contractors. He and 18 co-accused, including family members, pleaded not guilty and were released on a fine. The current governor, who served in 2015, was implicated in a procurement scam where he was accused of inflating wheelbarrow prices to KSh 109,000 each.