Busia County is at the center of a massive financial scandal after Senator Okiya Omtatah called for an urgent investigation into the alleged misappropriation of over Ksh 5.2 billion in public funds.
In a petition dated August 25, 2025, Omtatah presented findings from an independent fraud audit commissioned in July 2025, which aligns with the Auditor-General’s report for the financial year ending June 30, 2023. The audit uncovered what the senator describes as “deliberate misappropriation and embezzlement of taxpayer money.”
According to the petition, the funds were lost through a series of fraudulent activities including inflated budgets, duplicate Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) account codes, unauthorized expenditures, and various other financial malpractices.
Omtatah warned that the misuse of public resources severely undermines service delivery and violates constitutional principles of accountability, transparency, and prudent management of public funds.
“The blatant looting of taxpayer money demands immediate action because it undermines service delivery and constitutes a serious violation of the law,” Omtatah stated in his letter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer.
The senator also accused county officials of refusing to prepare and submit individual financial statements for various departments. Instead, accounts were consolidated without proper supporting records—a move Omtatah says explains how such a large sum of money remained unaccounted for.
Top county officials have dismissed the audit report as fabricated but, according to Omtatah, have failed to provide concrete evidence to counter the allegations.
The petition has been shared with President William Ruto, Governor Paul Ottuoma, the Controller of Budget, and the Auditor-General.
Omtatah is urging the EACC to summon involved officials, seize relevant financial documents, conduct lifestyle audits, and initiate recovery of the missing funds. He also called for criminal charges against all implicated individuals, emphasizing that inaction would further erode public trust and entrench impunity within the public service.
The EACC has yet to issue an official response regarding the petition.
