Inside the EAC Ministry’s ‘Food Cartel’: How Suppliers Forced to Pay Up or Lose Gov’t Deals

Serious allegations of corruption and misconduct have emerged within the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs), with some senior officials accused of mismanaging funds allocated for relief food distribution under special programmes.

The two key figures at the center of these claims are Dr. Beatrice Askul, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for the Ministry, and Kello Harsama, the Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for ASALs.

According to sources, the allocation of relief food meant for the arid and semi-arid regions has been manipulated into a cartel-like business controlled by the high-ranking officials. The claims suggest that suppliers are being awarded contracts to provide basic food items such as beans and rice at inflated prices.

Beatrice Askul CS East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development

Sources claim that unless suppliers comply with these inflated rates and make payments, they are barred from supplying the food to the government.

This situation raises compelling concerns about the integrity of the tendering process and the proper use of public funds intended for vulnerable communities.

Further adding weight to these concerns is the assertion that PS Kello Harsama has allegedly allocated more than 80 percent of relief food supplies to suppliers from his home region.

It is believed that Harsama is trying to secure political support ahead of his anticipated gubernatorial bid for in the county in the 2027 elections, which he is allegedly using as leverage to win votes through preferential treatment in government contracts.

The claims of financial mismanagement and preferential allocation are set against a backdrop of an executive order issued by the President on March 20, transferring the special programmes from the Ministry of East African Community, ASALs, and Regional Development to the Ministry of Public Service.

According to insiders, PS Kello Harsama has expressed dissatisfaction with the decision and has been actively lobbying to reverse it.

He is reported to have visited political leaders, including Raila Odinga, using financial resources to influence the reversal of the executive order, further raising concerns about potential misuse of public funds for political purposes.

The situation has attracted the attention of the public, with many calling for an investigation into these matters by the EACC, the DCI, the Auditor General’s Office, and the Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts.