Govt revokes appointment of key suspect in Obados Ksh.2B graft probe

ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has revoked the appointment of Jared Peter Odoyo Kwaga as a member of the  Kenya Institute of Mass Communication (KIMC) board.

Mr. Kwaga’s appointment, which was gazetted on Friday, February 8 had raised concern since he is one of the key suspects being probed by the EACC, over alleged theft of Ksh.2.5 billion from the Migori County Government.

In September 2018, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said it had frozen the bank accounts of Governor Obado and his close associates; Mr. Kwaga, Ernest Omondi Owino and Joram Opala Otieno, who are accused of being part of an intricate web used to siphon funds from the county’s coffers.

It’s not clear why CS Mucheru had appointed Mr. Kwaga despite his integrity being in question over the graft case which is yet to be concluded.

His appointment was revoked on Monday in a gazette notice dated February 11, 2019.

“IN EXERCISE of the powers conferred by section 5 (2) (h) of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication Order, 2011, as read together with section 51 of the Interpretations and General Provisions Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and Technology revokes the appointment of Jared Peter Odoyo Kwaga as a member of the Council of the Kenya Institute of Mass Communication,” reads the notice.

According to EACC, Mr. Kwaga owns several companies and he is being investigated over the possibility that he was one of the proxies Governor Obado used is the alleged theft of billions of public funds.

The said companies are alleged to have received millions of shillings through fake tender payments, with the money being wired to accounts of the Governor’s relatives.

Mr. Kwaga had been appointed to the KIMC board alongside former Bonchari MP Zebedeo John Opore, Edward Musebe, Dee Kivuva Mutisya, Beatrice Marshall and Kagiri Kamatu.