The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives on Friday arrested Dr. Noel Malanda, Vihiga County Chief Officer for Education.
According to Eacc the arrest is part of ongoing corruption investigations against her.
She is among the senior officials under corruption investigation that EACC is currently conducting in Vihiga County Executive and County Assembly.
“Dr. Malanda has been under investigation for various allegations of extortion, kickbacks and other forms of corrupt conduct in the management of contracts within her department.
“She is one of the Vihiga top officials accused of running fraudulent schemes within their dockets. As Chief Officer, she engages contractors and allegedly demands hefty kickbacks before the contract is awarded and further before any payments are made for the completed works,” EACC said in a statement.
The commission noted that Malanda demanded Ksh 200,000 from a trader who had supplied ECD Certificates to the Vihiga County Government as a condition for approving his payment for the completed works amounting to Ksh 1.8 Million.
Confirming the arrest, EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi revealed that Ksh 400,000 believed to be part of the money she has extorted from contractors was recovered from a drawer in her office.
The Chief Officer was not able to explain the source of the money and what it was meant for.
The Commission is investigating various contracts under her docket which she is alleged to have used as avenues for illicit enrichment.
Malanda is alleged to have been verbally instructing contractors to commence works and deliver services without signed contracts, even in cases where the contractors have been procured procedurally.
Upon completion of the works and supply of the services, she would demand bribes to issue contracts which would form part of the payment documents.
Failure to part with the bribes would see the payment delayed indefinitely.
Many traders have allegedly been frustrated by the said Chief Officer and forced to pay the kickbacks.
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