Top Officials at Moi University Under Investigation for Corruption.
Moi University’s top management has been summoned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for questioning over allegations of misappropriating Sh2.2 billion through fraudulent infrastructural projects.
Key officials to be interrogated include Vice-Chancellor Prof. Isaac Kosgey, Chief Accountant Egla Samoei, Head of Procurement Wilson Bett, and Head of Development Unit Moses Kipkulei. They are required to appear at the EACC Eldoret office on Wednesday, November 20, 2024.
The investigation follows reports of widespread corruption and theft of public funds at the institution. The summons coincide with a two-month-long strike by workers demanding unpaid salaries and dues amounting to Sh8.6 billion.
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Alleged Mismanagement of Projects
The EACC is examining several allegations of corruption and procurement irregularities involving the university’s infrastructural projects:
- School of Public Health, Dentistry, and Nursing
- Construction of the third and fourth floors valued at Sh726 million.
- Electrical works costing Sh148 million.
- A failed plumbing, drainage, and firefighting tender.
- Library Phase II (Annex Campus)
- Construction contract awarded at Sh1.1 billion.
- Electrical installation costing Sh169 million.
- Mechanical ventilation and air conditioning works at Sh35 million.
- Other Proposals Under Scrutiny
- Consultancy services for redesigning and supervision of the Library Phase II construction.
- Projects related to the Amphitheater Building, digital innovation center, main gate relocation, and workshop building completion.
The commission accuses Prof. Kosgey of obstructing investigations by failing to provide crucial documents despite repeated reminders, an offense under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
Financial Irregularities
The university is grappling with significant financial irregularities, including:
- Failure to remit Sh4 billion in payroll deductions.
- A defaulted Sh3 billion loan owed to Rivatex East Africa Limited.
- Accumulated unpaid bills of Sh1.1 billion as of June 2020.
EACC’s Demands and Documents
In a summons letter dated November 14, EACC directed Moi University to submit several documents by the close of business on Tuesday. These included:
- Approved institutional budgets for the past six financial years.
- Minutes from 18 special council meetings.
The demand aims to aid the ongoing probe into financial irregularities at the institution.
Staff and Students in Limbo
Despite students returning to campus last week, learning remains disrupted as staff continue their strike.
The university management claims to have paid salaries up to September 2024 and set aside funds for October, contingent on staff resuming duties.
However, negotiations with unions representing the workers—UASU, KUSU, and Kudheiha—have yet to yield a return-to-work agreement.
The management has issued warnings of mass suspensions and disciplinary actions against striking employees.
Parliamentary Intervention
A week prior, the National Assembly’s Education Committee visited the university’s Kesses campus and recommended dissolving the management board.
They proposed appointing a caretaker team and suspending all projects until a forensic audit of the institution’s finances, led by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, is completed.
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The Public Investments Committee on Education has echoed these recommendations, urging the university to halt new hires and resolve the financial crisis before continuing operations.
According to EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi, the commission has intensified its oversight of public universities, targeting vice-chancellors and senior officials who allegedly facilitate or enable corruption.
He noted that these unethical practices jeopardize the quality of higher education in Kenya.
Top Officials at Moi University Under Investigation for Corruption.
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