Former Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Chairman, Jeremiah Kinyua, has voluntarily surrendered half of the Ksh278 million worth of assets that were frozen by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) during an ongoing corruption investigation.
The EACC took this action in May of this year, alleging that Kinyua had acquired substantial wealth without a clear source of income during his tenure as a senior official at the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
As part of the investigation, Kinyua has reached an agreement with the EACC and formally registered his consent with the High Court to surrender half of the frozen funds, while the remaining half will be handed over to the government as proceeds of corruption.
The properties surrendered include two plots in Ruiru town valued at Kshs63 million, three plots in Nairobi and Kitengela worth Kshs33 million, a Kshs5 million Toyota Prado vehicle, and cash totaling Ksh1.2 million.
Kinyua will retain ownership of the other half, which consists of two plots in Nairobi and Laikipia valued at Kshs35 million and Kshs18 million, respectively, in addition to three plots in Ruiru estimated to be worth Kshs95 million. The consent agreement, signed before Justice Esther Maina, specifies that Kinyua is to surrender the seven listed properties and the retrieved funds to the Kenyan government.
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Once Kinyua transfers the property titles to the EACC, the commission will have the authority to publicly auction these assets and direct the proceeds towards the government. The EACC’s concerns about Kinyua’s property ownership stemmed from the significant disparity between his known income during his time at the KRA, where he earned an average monthly salary of Kshs120,000, amounting to Kshs11 million over his period of employment.
While Kinyua was able to account for properties worth Kshs83 million when questioned by the EACC, he could not provide a satisfactory explanation for assets valued at Kshs278 million. In accordance with the agreement reached with the EACC, the court orders that led to the freezing of Kinyua’s assets, which he is allowed to retain, have been lifted.
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Earlier this year, the High Court had frozen over 19 properties, estimated to be worth Kshs278 million, belonging to Jeremiah Kamau Kinyua, who had recently been appointed as the Chairman of the National Standards Council, the policy-making body for KEBS. His appointment followed a sugar scandal at KEBS, and suspicions arose that his accumulated wealth may have been linked to corrupt practices during his tenure at the KRA.
