EACC probes graft claims at national blood agency

Blood samples from a past drive organised by the National Blood Transfusion Services (KNBTS). The EACC is investigating alleged graft at the agency.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • EACC has written to the NBTS director to facilitate a team of its investigators to carry out the probe expeditiously.
  • It has listed eight different documents required to probe an alleged recruitment scam suspected to have taken place on diverse dates between 2018 and 2020. 
  • At the same time, NBTS is also being investigated by the DCI over alleged illegal selling of blood outside Kenya’s borders.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating allegations of corruption at the National Blood Transfusion Services (NBTS).

The probe by the anti-graft watchdog comes at a time when NBTS is also being investigated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over allegations of illegal sale of donated blood outside Kenya’s borders.

EACC has written to the NBTS director to facilitate a team of its investigators to carry out the probe expeditiously.

In the letter dated August 13, the EACC stated that officers who will be at NBTS offices tomorrow will need to be provided with among other things, budget submissions by departments and regional services for the financial year 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 as well as expenditures by departments during the same period. 

“The Commission is investigating allegations of corruption in your institution. To facilitate our investigation, kindly provide us with the following original documents,” the letter says.

During the period under investigation (between 2018 and 2020), the department has been headed by Dr Fridah Govedi and Dr Josephine Githaiga.