NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 26 — The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) has interdicted two of its officers after their arrest by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in Garissa, in connection with a suspected fraud syndicate.
In a statement released on Wednesday, September 25, KFS emphasized its commitment to addressing corruption swiftly. “All KFS staff are made aware of the Anti-Corruption Policy, Staff Code of Conduct, and Whistleblowers Policy, which uphold a zero-tolerance stance against corruption,” the agency said.
The two arrested officers, Elphas Wesonga, a Conservator, and Ibrahim Hussein, an accountant, were accused of overpaying casual workers engaged by the institution, then coercing them into surrendering the excess money for personal use. The officials also reportedly deposited money into the casual workers’ bank accounts, disguising it as legitimate payments, only to later instruct the workers to withdraw and hand the funds over to them.
A preliminary assessment by the EACC revealed that the funds collected in the scheme were shared among the officers and their senior colleagues.
Following their arrest, Wesonga and Hussein were processed at the EACC’s North Eastern Regional Offices in Garissa and subsequently booked at the Garissa Police Station for further processing. The investigation is ongoing.