EACC Turkana: Nurse Charged with Conflict of Interest Over Sh2.7M Contracts

• The EACC arrested Turkana County nurse Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku and co-director Abass Abdi Yusuf on October 14.
• The arrests relate to alleged conflict of interest in Sh2,763,681 worth of county contracts awarded to Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited between 2017 and 2021.
• Eskuku, a public employee, was a director of Ekwang Suppliers, which secured and received payments for these contracts.
• The Director of Public Prosecutions has approved charges including conflict of interest, money laundering, and acquisition of proceeds of crime.
• The EACC plans to pursue civil proceedings for asset recovery and urges public entities to comply with the enacted Conflict of Interest Act, 2025.

This enforcement action serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by the EACC to combat corruption and ensure integrity within public service.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) recently took action in Turkana County, apprehending a county government nurse, Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku, along with his business co-director, Abass Abdi Yusuf. These arrests, which occurred on October 14, stem from an investigation into alleged conflicts of interest related to public procurement contracts. The EACC's inquiry focused on transactions involving Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited, a firm in which both Eskuku and Yusuf held directorships.

Investigations revealed that between 2017 and 2021, Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited secured contracts and received payments from the Turkana County government. Crucially, at the time these transactions took place, Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku was actively employed as a registered nurse by the same county government. The total value of these contracts, which are now under scrutiny for conflict of interest, amounted to Sh2,763,681. The EACC further alleged that following the receipt of these funds, Eskuku promptly withdrew the payments in cash, an action the commission suggests was intended to obscure the origin of the money.

Following a thorough investigation, the EACC compiled an inquiry file and presented it to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The DPP subsequently reviewed the evidence and approved a range of charges against Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku, Abass Abdi Yusuf, and Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited. The charges include conflict of interest, money laundering, and the acquisition of proceeds of crime, highlighting the serious nature of the alleged misconduct in Kenya public procurement conflict of interest.

The two individuals were processed at the EACC North Rift Regional Office in Eldoret, anticipating their scheduled arraignment before the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday. Beyond the criminal prosecution, the EACC has also indicated its intention to initiate civil proceedings. These civil actions will aim to recover the public funds that were allegedly misappropriated and to seek the forfeiture of any assets determined to have been acquired through the proceeds of these illicit activities, underscoring the EACC's commitment to EACC asset recovery proceedings Kenya.

This enforcement action serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing efforts by the EACC to combat corruption and ensure integrity within public service. The commission has consistently urged public institutions across Kenya to bolster their internal safeguards against conflicts of interest, particularly within the realm of public procurement. This case, involving a Turkana nurse and his business associate, exemplifies the types of situations that robust compliance measures are designed to prevent.

In light of such incidents, the EACC has specifically called upon all state organs and public entities to ensure full compliance with the enacted Conflict of Interest Act, 2025. This legislation mandates the implementation of effective mechanisms for the declaration, diligent management, and proactive prevention of conflicts of interest among public officers. The commission's directive emphasizes the critical need for public bodies to establish clear policies and procedures to identify and mitigate potential conflicts, thereby safeguarding public resources and maintaining public trust.

This case serves as a strong reminder for compliance officers in Kenyan public entities to immediately review and strengthen their conflict of interest policies, particularly concerning public officers' involvement in companies bidding for county contracts, and to ensure robust declaration and prevention mechanisms are in place to avoid similar enforcement actions and asset forfeiture proceedings.

Source: Original reporting via Capital FM Kenya