EACC Probes Otuoma Over Sh1.4 Billion Tenders Awarded to Close Associates

Busia Governor Paul Otuoma has been drawn into a deepening corruption probe after appearing before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over allegations that his administration irregularly awarded tenders worth more than Sh1.4 billion to companies linked to his close associates and family members.

The governor reported to the EACC Western Regional Offices in Bungoma on Tuesday morning, February 3, 2026, where he recorded a statement with investigators in connection with the ongoing inquiry.

He arrived shortly after 9.30am and was grilled for several hours as detectives pieced together what they describe as a complex web of proxy companies and suspicious payments spanning multiple financial years.

At the centre of the investigation are tenders and payments amounting to over Sh1.4 billion allegedly awarded between the 2022/23 and 2024/25 financial years to at least 26 firms believed to be linked to relatives and close associates of senior Busia County officials.

Investigators say the firms may have been used to siphon public funds through inflated contracts and irregular procurement processes.

According to the EACC, Governor Otuoma is among eight county officials under scrutiny over allegations of conflict of interest, procurement irregularities and theft of public funds.

EACC Director of Legal Services and Asset Recovery David Too said the officials are also suspected of amassing wealth that is not commensurate with their known sources of income.

One line of inquiry focuses on Sh90 million allegedly paid to four private entities said to have direct links to the governor.

Detectives are seeking to establish whether the payments were lawful and whether the firms met the legal requirements to do business with the county government.

The commission is also probing the construction of a county yard undertaken during the 2023/24 financial year.

Investigators allege that 2.4 hectares of public land were irregularly leased to a private contractor for 25 years without a competitive tendering process, raising concerns of abuse of office and loss of public land.

The governor’s summons follows a series of search operations conducted in August 2025, when EACC officers raided homes and offices of several senior Busia County officials, including three county executive committee members and a chief officer.

Documents and electronic devices were seized during the raids as part of efforts to trace the flow of funds and identify the true beneficiaries of the contested tenders.

While confirming the governor’s appearance, the commission was keen to stress that the investigations are still ongoing.

Mr Too said no conclusions have been reached and that any culpability will only be determined after the probe is complete and, where necessary, files forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Governor Otuoma has not publicly commented on the substance of the allegations, but allies have previously dismissed claims of corruption in the county as politically motivated.

The unfolding probe now places the Busia boss under intense scrutiny, with pressure mounting for accountability as the EACC tightens its grip on county procurement scandals across the country.