Chickengate scandal investigation yet to be finalised

What you need to know:

  • According to Mr Waqo, the law requires that he must use the official channels through the respective country attorneys-general to obtain the evidence which he said EACC has done. “It is not as easy as the sting operations we conduct locally,” said Mr Waqo.
  • Nicholas Charles Smith, 43, and his father Christopher John Smith, 71, were found guilty of bribing officials of IIEC, the electoral body that preceded IEBC, and Knec bosses so as to win printing contracts.

Kenyans will have to wait longer for the outcome of the investigations into the Chickengate scandal in which serving and former officials of the electoral and examination bodies were implicated in bribery scandals to award multi-billion-shilling contracts to a UK firm.

This is according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Secretary Halakhe Waqo who asked the public to give them room to do their work. “For an outsider the case looks straightforward. But for me, especially when it involves entities outside the country’ jurisdiction, the process involved is often long and laborious,” Mr Waqo (pictured) said.

According to Mr Waqo, the law requires that he must use the official channels through the respective country attorneys-general to obtain the evidence which he said EACC has done. “It is not as easy as the sting operations we conduct locally,” said Mr Waqo.

A UK court had earlier this year convicted two executives of Smith & Ouzman for bribing Kenyan officials of the defunct Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) and the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) including current electoral body chairman Ahmed Issack Hassan and Knec’s former boss Paul Wasanga to win contracts.

Nicholas Charles Smith, 43, and his father Christopher John Smith, 71, were found guilty of bribing officials of IIEC, the electoral body that preceded IEBC, and Knec bosses so as to win printing contracts.

Others questioned over the matter were UK firm’s agent Trevy Oyombra and suspended Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, the latter who was a commissioner with the IIEC. They were adversely mentioned in the UK case for price variations, procurement irregularities and bribery to award ballot paper and examination printing tenders to Smith and Ouzman. The UK authorities concluded the case months ago.