Odhiambo Ottoman Adel Walter has been ordered by the High Court to refund Ksh10,991,712 after the court found that he illegally earned salary from the Homa Bay County Government while still employed full-time at the Kenya Medical Training College.
The ruling, delivered in Nairobi on March 13, 2026 by Justice B. M. Musyoki, followed a case filed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission seeking to recover public funds that the court said were paid for services that were never rendered.
The judgment paints a troubling picture of how one public officer held several positions at the same time while continuing to collect salaries from different institutions.
According to evidence presented in court, Walter was appointed Deputy Director of Health in charge of Preventive and Promotive Services in Homa Bay County in March 2016 even though he was already employed as a lecturer at the Kenya Medical Training College on a permanent and pensionable basis.
Investigators told the court that Walter never resigned from his KMTC position after taking the county job. Instead, he continued receiving pay from both institutions between June 2016 and August 2021.
During this period, he received Ksh10,991,712 from the Homa Bay County Government.
The situation became even more questionable after it emerged that Walter was also engaged as a part-time lecturer at Great Lakes University of Kisumu. The court heard that this raised serious doubts about whether it was even possible for him to effectively perform the duties expected from all the positions he held.
Three witnesses presented by the anti-corruption agency testified about Walter’s employment arrangements. Among them were a county human resource director, a bank official and an investigator from the commission.
Their testimony showed that Walter was officially attached to institutions located in different counties at the same time.
The court observed that such an arrangement made it practically impossible for him to properly carry out his responsibilities. Justice Musyoki stated that one individual could not reasonably be expected to work full-time in Homa Bay while at the same time maintaining a full-time role in Kisumu.
Despite the serious allegations raised against him, Walter did not take the stand to defend himself during the hearing. He also did not call any witnesses to challenge the evidence presented by the commission.
Earlier in the proceedings, he had denied wrongdoing and maintained that the payments he received were lawful.
However, the court noted that Walter had at one point written to the commission indicating that he was willing to refund the money, a move that appeared to acknowledge the dispute over the payments.
In the ruling, the court made it clear that public funds cannot be treated casually. Justice Musyoki stated that the money Walter received from the county government was payment for services that were never provided.
The judge ordered him to refund the entire amount of Ksh10,991,712 within 90 days. Interest will continue to accumulate from the time the case was filed until the full amount is paid.
In addition to repaying the money, Walter was also ordered to cover the costs of the suit. The court further allowed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to begin recovery proceedings if he fails to comply with the order.
