Photo:The accused persons appearing before Bungoma Anti-Corruption Court.
By Timothy Wekesa
BUNGOMA, Kenya (IP) — Seven Rift Valley Water Services Board officials accused of siphoning KES 600 million from a donor-funded water project will know their fate on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
Chief Magistrate Josphat Gichimu issued a stern warning on Tuesday after Joram Opala Otieno — the contractor at the center of the scandal — failed to appear in court.
Gichimu immediately issued a warrant of arrest and ordered Opala’s KES 500,000 cash bail forfeited, underscoring the court’s resolve to prevent delays.
At stake is the Malaba Water and Sanitation Project, a multi-million shilling tender funded by the African Development Bank Group in the 2018/2019 financial year.
Prosecutors allege that officials, including Rachael Makokha, Agnes Bowen, Patrose Leshinga and Jared Okungu, colluded to forge documents and hand the contract to Opala’s company, Mactebac Contractors Limited, despite the firm lacking the technical capacity to deliver.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), which led investigations, says evidence shows the project was reduced to a conduit for looting rather than a lifeline for the people of Malaba.
Anti-graft agencies and governance experts are warning that the judgment could reverberate far beyond Bungoma.
Donor confidence is on the line, with the African Development Bank and other financiers closely monitoring the outcome. Kenya risks tighter funding conditions — or even aid withdrawal — if courts fail to decisively punish corruption in projects underwritten by international lenders.
“This ruling will test Kenya’s credibility in managing donor funds,” a senior EACC investigator told reporters. “A weak outcome could shake trust and jeopardize future financing for critical infrastructure.”
As Thursday’s judgment nears, the case has become a national litmus test for accountability in high-stakes tenders.
For residents of Malaba, it is also a painful reminder that corruption in water projects doesn’t just drain coffers — it leaves taps dry and promises broken.
