Governor Wavinya Ndeti suspends 33 revenue officers over alleged graft

Governor Wavinya Ndeti suspends 33 revenue officers over alleged graft

Wavinya stressed that the suspension of these officers is just the start of a wider crackdown aimed at eradicating all forms of graft within county operations.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti has suspended 33 county revenue officers over alleged corruption, in a bold move to curb graft that has plagued public service delivery.

The action comes amid rising concerns about fraudulent activities in the county, with the governor vowing to dismantle entrenched networks undermining accountability and efficiency.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, Wavinya described corruption as a cancer eating into the core of service delivery, emphasising that her administration will leave no stone unturned in holding every wrongdoer accountable.

“In light of recent revelations and growing public concern, my office is addressing the alarming incidences of corruption involving public servants entrusted with the welfare of our County,” she said.

The governor revealed that the officers allegedly engaged in practices such as under-reporting collected fees, diverting funds, and issuing fake receipts and permits.

The governor noted that despite heavy investments in digitising revenue collection, some public servants continued to collude with unscrupulous individuals, even conning unsuspecting residents.

“Despite investing heavily in digitising revenue collection systems, some public servants continue to collude with unscrupulous individuals to issue illegal permits. Some unsuspecting residents are even conned without their knowledge,” she lamented.

Wavinya confirmed that the 33 officers have been suspended immediately and instructed to hand over duties to their respective Chief Officers.

Their names, along with others still under investigation, will be forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for prosecution.

“Today I am here to name and shame them for stealing from the public. What they have been doing is intolerable. We shall pursue the perpetrators until we smoke out the very last of them,” she declared.

The governor reiterated her commitment to transforming Machakos County into a corruption-free zone, stressing the need for a culture that values integrity, transparency, and accountability over shortcuts and impunity.

“We must shift from a culture that demands corruption to one that demands integrity. We must build systems that reward honesty, not shortcuts. We must reward whistleblowers, not punish them,” she said.

Wavinya stressed that the suspension of these officers is just the start of a wider crackdown aimed at eradicating all forms of graft within county operations.

Reader Comments

Trending

Popular Stories This Week

Stay ahead of the news! Click ‘Yes, Thanks’ to receive breaking stories and exclusive updates directly to your device. Be the first to know what’s happening.