The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested an individual accused of impersonating an officer from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) in a fraudulent Ksh15 million tender scheme.
In a statement on Friday, March 27, the commission said the suspect misrepresented himself as a senior intelligence officer linked to a government development fund and used that position to convince the contractor to take up a project that did not exist.
"Investigations reveal that the suspect, Mr. Joel Wanyama Simiyu, falsely presented himself as a senior NIS officer attached to the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) Board and used this guise to deceive a construction firm into undertaking a non-existent project at Kaptis Primary Special School in Hamisi Sub-County, Vihiga County," the statement read.
According to EACC, to reinforce the credibility of the scheme, the suspect allegedly went as far as staging official-looking procedures, including documentation and technical oversight, to mislead the contractor into believing the project was legitimate.
"To legitimize the scheme, the suspect allegedly staged a fake project handover, complete with forged contract documents, and introduced an accomplice posing as an engineer to influence unauthorised project variations," the statement added.
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The contractor, convinced by the elaborate setup, proceeded with construction works and paid approximately Ksh1.4 million in what were presented as facilitation fees.
EACC noted that the fraudulent scheme came to light when the firm sought payment from the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) office in Hamisi and discovered that no such project had ever been approved.
"The fraud was uncovered when the firm sought payment from Hamisi NG-CDF, only to establish that no such project had been approved. The suspect later resurfaced and demanded an additional Kes20,000 bribe, claiming he would facilitate payment processing," the statement continued.
EACC officers later set up an operation that led to the suspect’s arrest while allegedly receiving the additional bribe.
"EACC officers apprehended the suspect while receiving the bribe. He was booked at Kisumu Central Police Station and released on Ksh20,000 cash bail pending further investigations," the statement further read.
This comes a day after EACC secured court orders compelling a former Nairobi City Council official to refund Ksh13 million linked to the controversial Ksh283 million cemetery land scandal.
In a statement on Thursday, March 26, EACC said the funds were recovered from Mary Ng’ethe, who previously served as Chairperson of the Technical Evaluation Committee.
"The funds were recovered from Ms. Mary Ng’ethe, who served as Chairperson of the Technical Evaluation Committee. She received the money as a kickback for her role in facilitating the fraudulent scheme," the statement read.
According to EACC, a ruling delivered by Justice Benjamin Musyoki of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court found Ng’ethe to be a central figure in the scandal, holding her directly responsible for manipulating the procurement process.
"In a judgment delivered on March 24, 2026, Justice Benjamin Musyoki of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court found that Ng’ethe was central to the transaction. The court held that she orchestrated and guided the flawed procurement process and that the money she received was a reward for her involvement," the statement added.
The court further determined that the Ksh13 million constituted public funds and must be returned to the government.
Investigations by EACC revealed that the former City Council of Nairobi incurred massive losses during the irregular purchase of land intended for cemetery use.
"The commission found that the land acquired was unsuitable for cemetery use and that the contract price was grossly inflated. Of the total amount, Kes110 million was paid to the registered owner, while the balance was fraudulently shared among individuals who facilitated the scheme," the statement further read.
The case also led to criminal proceedings against several individuals involved in the scheme, with Ng’ethe among those convicted.
"Those implicated were charged, prosecuted, and convicted for various offences, including procurement irregularities and money laundering. Ms. Ng’ethe was convicted in Nairobi Anti-Corruption Criminal Case No. 20 of 2010 on May 15, 2018, and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on two counts, in addition to a mandatory fine of Ksh52 million," the statement concluded.
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