NYAMIRA: The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has intensified its search for five suspects linked to an alleged procurement scandal of over Sh30 million at the Nyamira County Assembly, following the arrest of the Assembly Clerk, Duke Simeon Onyari.

Speaking in Nyamira after the arrest, South Nyanza EACC Regional Manager Alfred Mwachugha said the Commission remains determined to bring all individuals implicated in the case before the courts.

“We have managed to arrest the clerk, who has been on the run and trying to avoid the judicial process. Tomorrow we will arraign him in court, and I want to urge the other five suspects who are still at large to present themselves for processing,” said Mwachugha.

According to the EACC, investigations revealed that the Nyamira County Assembly irregularly awarded a tender for the construction of the Assembly office block to Jetta Builders Limited, despite the company not being the lowest bidder.

The Commission alleges that this decision resulted in an unlawful benefit of over KES 30 million to the contractor and violated public procurement regulations.

Following investigations, the EACC forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved charges against eight individuals involved in the procurement process.

One suspect was arrested and arraigned in court on March 19, 2026, while Onyari was apprehended on Tuesday after months of allegedly evading arrest through a series of court applications seeking anticipatory orders.

Mwachugha noted that the anti-graft agency had tracked the suspect for months before finally arresting him.

The suspects face charges under the Nyamira Chief Magistrate’s Court Anti-Corruption Case No. E001 of 2026, arising from the Sh367 million project to construct the Nyamira County Assembly office block.

With two suspects now in custody, attention has shifted to the remaining five individuals who investigators say have yet to surrender.

The EACC has warned that efforts to evade arrest will not stop the course of justice.

“Serikali ina mkono mrefu,” Mwachugha said, emphasizing that authorities will continue pursuing all those implicated until they are brought to justice.

The Commission has appealed to the remaining suspects to voluntarily surrender as legal proceedings continue.