Senior KeRRA Official Arrested in Multibillion Corruption Scandal

KAJIADO — An assistant accountant at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) was arraigned in court today on charges of corruption, following a years-long investigation that uncovered an elaborate scheme involving tens of millions of shillings in misappropriated public funds.

Esther Wanjiru Chege, who worked at the KeRRA Kajiado office, appeared before the Kajiado Law Courts alongside three co-accused persons, facing multiple charges including conflict of interest, unlawful acquisition of public property, and conspiracy to commit economic crimes.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) arrested Chege and her co-conspirators on May 2 after investigations revealed she had allegedly used her position to influence the award of lucrative government contracts to companies owned by immediate family members.

“This is a clear case of an official abusing her position for personal gain,” said an EACC spokesperson. “Our investigations have uncovered a sophisticated network of companies linked to the accused, which received preferential treatment in tender awards.”

Web of Companies

According to court documents, Chege allegedly helped steer contracts to Reswan Enterprises Limited, a company registered under her brother James Chege Njoroge and businessman James Ngigi Kamau. Despite not being officially listed as an owner, investigators found that Chege herself operated the company’s bank accounts.

Three additional companies—Rokays Enterprise Limited, Reswan Holdings Limited, and Kaydtech Enterprises Limited—all owned by Chege’s husband, Robert Macharia Kimotho, also received multiple tenders during her tenure at various KeRRA regional offices.

The EACC investigation found that Reswan Enterprises alone received approximately Ksh 20 million from KeRRA contracts, while Rokays Enterprise Limited received over Ksh 5 million. The total amount implicated in the scandal is approximately Ksh 38.6 million.

Assets Seizure and Ongoing Civil Case

Beyond the criminal charges, the EACC is pursuing a civil case seeking to forfeit assets worth Ksh 38,610,843.91 that they allege were acquired through corrupt practices. The Commission has already seized 13 title deeds with an estimated value exceeding Ksh 100 million, for properties located in Kiambu, Nyandarua, Naivasha, Makueni, and Kajiado counties.

The court had previously frozen Chege’s bank account, which showed transactions totaling Ksh 26,359,921 between January 2016 and May 2022—a period during which her monthly salary increased from Ksh 49,580 to Ksh 116,640.

“The accused was found to be in possession of assets that are disproportionate to her known legitimate sources of income,” stated the EACC in court documents.

Part of Larger Crackdown

This case appears to be part of a broader anti-corruption initiative targeting officials at KeRRA. In its third quarterly report for 2024, the EACC recommended prosecution of several KeRRA officials, including Joel Mutambu Kilonzi and Anthony Akolo Mukembo, for similar conflict of interest allegations.

The total monetary value of all cases the EACC has recommended for prosecution amounts to Ksh 2.048 billion, indicating the scale of alleged corruption within various government agencies.

All accused persons in the Chege case pleaded not guilty to all charges.

The court will issue directions on bail and bond terms on May 9, 2025.

This is a developing story.