Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has petitioned the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to launch criminal investigations into the alleged disappearance of Ksh5.2 billion from Busia County coffers.
In a letter dated August 25, 2025, Omtatah called on the anti-graft body to summon county officials, seize relevant financial records, and conduct lifestyle audits, accusing senior officials in Governor Paul Otuoma’s administration of presiding over systemic looting.
The Senator’s demands are anchored on a fraud audit report he commissioned and released in July 2025. The document analyzed the Auditor-General’s report on Busia County Executive’s financial statements for the year ending June 30, 2023, alongside other records, and flagged multiple red flags.
According to Omtatah, the findings revealed deliberate manipulation of financial systems, including the use of duplicate Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) codes, unauthorized expenditures, and inflated budgets by Ksh1.4 billion without lawful approval. He further alleged that county officials failed to prepare and submit individual departmental financial statements as required under Article 226 of the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.
Instead, he noted, the County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Planning presented consolidated accounts unsupported by departmental figures, creating accountability gaps that left Ksh5.2 billion unaccounted for.
“The report uncovers systemic fraud… and other financial irregularities that point to deliberate misappropriation and embezzlement of taxpayer money,” Omtatah stated in his petition.
The lawmaker argued that the actions amounted to offences under the Penal Code, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, and other statutes. He urged the EACC to invoke its constitutional mandate and initiate “credible criminal investigations” into the matter, while also summoning officials from the Controller of Budget and the Auditor-General for questioning.
Omtatah further accused sections of the EACC of previously abetting corruption in Busia by handling cases with leniency but expressed hope the Commission would act decisively this time.
He gave the EACC seven days to respond in writing, detailing the steps taken or intended to ensure accountability and recovery of taxpayers’ funds.
