On April 10, 2025, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission made an announcement that caused a lot of anger and shock in Turkana County. They revealed that ten senior officials from the County Government of Turkana were being investigated for allegedly stealing more than KES 600 million during the financial years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
This news came as a huge disappointment to many residents, who believe that the money could have helped bring development, build hospitals, improve schools, and create jobs in one of Kenya’s poorest regions.
The commission, which operates from Nairobi, named the officials under investigation. Among them is Michael Erege Ekidor, who is the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Finance. He is accused of taking part in the embezzlement and also of using his position to gain illegal wealth.
Investigators say they found KES 6.5 million in cash in his car, raising strong suspicion that the money was part of the stolen funds. The commission also believes that he was involved in giving out fake tenders, bribery, and approving payments for projects that were never done.
Other officials on the list include Peter Lomurukai, who is the Chief Officer for Municipalities and Urban Management, and Mark Achila Ekiru, the Chief Officer for Roads and Transport.
The Director of Procurement, Samson Nakito, and a Senior Accountant, Lillian Alaper Ateyo, are also named. Surprisingly, even a Cleaning Supervisor, Annah Narot Longoli, and her spouse, John Tioko Ekal, are being investigated, which shows how deep the network of corruption might be.
Two businessmen, William Erex Aminit and Nangiro Eduang Ichor, were also mentioned along with Abenyo Amathwel Etir, a Security Warden, and Stephen Lowoton, a former Assistant Director of Accounting.
According to the commission, these individuals are believed to have worked together to loot public money through dishonest deals involving county contracts. They are suspected of using companies where they had interests to trade with the county government, which is illegal and a conflict of interest.
This scheme led to the loss of funds that were meant to improve the lives of the people. During the operation, EACC officers searched homes and offices of the suspects and froze KES 180 million found in the bank accounts of Abenyo Amathwel Etir and his companies.
The investigation is still in progress, and the suspects have been taken to Lodwar to give statements. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has said that once their work is complete, legal action will follow.
This could include charging the suspects in court and recovering the stolen money and any assets they bought with it. For the people of Turkana, this scandal is heartbreaking. Many of them live in poverty and depend on government services that are often lacking or poor in quality.
Now, they see how public servants, who are supposed to serve them, have allegedly used their positions to enrich themselves instead. Many residents are demanding that justice be done, and that all those found guilty face the full force of the law.
