Evans Wafula Earned Sh26,000 NYS Pay But Banked Sh197,391,968 In 4 Years

In what seems to be a trend in the country, a junior officer at the National Youth Service is living lavish with wealth estimated to be worth more than Sh500 million despite earning a salary of Sh26,000, this is just a week after Kenya Insights featured a story about an accountant at the Ministry of Interior who deposited Sh5 million every month in his 10 bank accounts while on a basic Sh120,000 salary.

Evans Wafula Kundu was in charge of the mechanical and transport department during the sh9 billion heist at the state agency and is alleged to have illegally amassed the wealth during the looting spree. Together with other staff, they milked the agency dry through dubious contracts and fictitious payments.

Between 2013 and 2017, Wafula was get paid a net monthly salary of between Sh9,564 and Sh26,300 but managed to bank in his accounts cash totaling Sh197,391,968. in the same period He also acquired property estimated at around Sh350 million.

This corruption sponsored lifestyle was laid bare by the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) seeking to freeze movement of the property. ARA through lawyer Jennifer Gitiri have obtained orders stopping Wafula, his wife Sylvia Ajiambo Onguru, daughter Millicent Matingi Kundu and their company Mojisola Limited from selling, interfering with or transferring any of the property.

Hearing the case, Justice Mumbi Ngugi further ordered the chief lands registrar to put a caveat on all land owned by Kundu and the director general of National Transport and Safety Authority to register a caveat on several vehicles.

The junior officer had made himself an empire buying highly valued property all over, among them property in upmarket Runda purchased at Sh90 million, a piece of land in Kasarani worth Sh16 million, a plot in Nakuru East estimated to be Sh25 million, a four-storey residential building in Njoro and 40-acres of land in Trans Nzoia town. He also owns two plots in Kitale he purchased at Sh16 million, another land in Nairobi valued at Sh6 million and his palatial home in Trans Nzoia, the agency claims he constructed using proceeds of crime.

ARA is looking to have Wafula’s property and money in his bank accounts forfeited to the state on claims that they were acquired through proceeds of crime and looting of public funds from NYS.

Wafula was among 37 suspects charged in May last year with conspiracy to defraud NYS of millions of shillings.