A senior government official was arrested by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers on charges of embezzling relief food valued at Ksh550,200.
The Assistant County Commissioner, was apprehended on Wednesday, January 31, following a raid at his office. EACC has accused Teddy Buya Bonaya, the Assistant County Commissioner based in Ganze Sub-County, Kilifi County, of stealing and selling relief food intended for impoverished families in Tana River.
The suspect is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, February 1.
“The Commission has this morning arrested one Teddy Buya Bonaya, Assistant County Commissioner 1, Ganze Sub-County, in Kilifi County, who stole and sold relief food valued at Ksh550,200 meant for needy residents in Tana North Sub-County within Tana-River County. He will be arraigned tomorrow,” announced EACC.
The stolen food was reportedly designated to aid displaced families affected by heavy rainfall in December. Over 800 families in Mororo, Bakuyu, and Ziwani villages of Madogo in Tana River County were left homeless after River Tana overflowed following the intense downpour.
The County Government of Tana River, in collaboration with the Department of Special Programmes and the Red Cross Society, intensified efforts to distribute non-food items to 100 families in the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps as they sought food resources.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua joined forces with other stakeholders to relocate affected families in response to the adverse effects of the heavy rains.
