Trouble is brewing at the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) after Elizabeth Ochieng’ filed a petition to remove the agency’s chairperson, Samuel Kobia.

In the petition, addressed to President William Ruto through Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Ochieng’ calls for an investigation into Kobia over various allegations of abuse of office, gross financial mismanagement, and academic fraud.

Ochieng’ has laid out claims in her petition that she believes warrant his removal from office.

For instance, on grounds of abuse of office, Ochieng’ argues that Kobia signed two letters for the previous Chief Executive Officer, Skitter Wangeci—one for a three-year contract and the other for a five-year contract.

The five-year contract was specifically to assist Skitter in securing a mortgage at an interest rate of 3%, a rate exclusively designated for state officers, despite her not being entitled to such privileges.

“This constitutes abuse of office and potentially fraudulent misrepresentation, which is a direct violation of Chapter 6 of the Constitution of Kenya on Leadership and Integrity and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003. We note that this specific matter is currently pending investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI),” the petition, seen by TV47 Digital, reads in part.

Ochieng’ also accuses Kobia of making unauthorized withdrawals of funds from NCIC’s accounts in the name of ‘confidential funds,’ without board approval.

She further claims that the Chairperson took overdrafts without proper approvals, in contravention of the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, forcing the organization to incur substantial interest rates.

She further alleges that Kobia has undertaken numerous international trips at great expense while the institution faces severe financial constraints.

Additionally, Ochieng’ argues that he has failed to adequately address significant queries raised in recent audit reports, indicating a lack of financial accountability.

On grounds of academic fraud, Ochieng’ alleges that the man of the cloth heading the NCIC is believed to possess fake academic papers, which calls into question his legitimacy for holding such a critical position.

In her requests, Ochieng’ calls upon President Ruto to initiate a thorough investigation into these allegations and, based on the findings, recommend his immediate removal from office.

She also calls on the President to ensure the implementation of robust oversight mechanisms within the Commission to prevent such occurrences in the future and to safeguard the institution’s financial integrity, public trust, and reputation.