The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is investigating a national school in Nakuru over suspected corrupt practices that have led to a possible loss of Ksh20 million in fishy procurement deals.
The DCI is actively probing Nakuru Girls High School management in connection with infringement of procurement rules in awarding of tenders for supply of goods and services.
The DCI is investigating claims that six companies linked to a school senior staff were awarded tenders between 2020 and 2023 to supply goods and services in a clear case of conflict of interest in contravention of existing procurement laws.
At the centre of the inquiry are six companies; Floan Cereals and Shop Items, Flozie Printer of Accessories, Zuprehesh Enterprises, Kanjasa Enterprises, Mytiff Enterprises, and Succa Enterprises, which the DCI has banned from doing business with the school till further notice.
Documents seen by Education News show that the DCI conducted a search at the Business Registration Services for the six controversial firms and appear to have landed on some crucial evidence, going ahead to blacklist the firms from conducting business with the school.
In the December 21, 2023 document signed by the Nakuru East Sub-county Criminal Investigation Officer (SCCIO) Samuel Ngeiywa, which was copied to Rift Valley Regional Criminal Investigation Officer (RCIO), Nakuru County Criminal Investigation Officer (CCIO) and Nakuru County Director of Education, the School Board of Management (BoM) was advised to freeze all tenders until the DCI completes its investigations.
The investigations were prompted by a whistleblower who reported the matter to Nakuru East Police Station on October 6, 2023. The DCI then swung into action and visited the school on October 9, 2023 to carry out preliminary investigations.
According to Ngeiywa, a number of teachers and support staff recorded statements and provided some vital documents to assist in the probe.
The school management protested the manner in which the DCI conducted the probe through a letter dated November 22, 2023, complaining that they were not notified officially about the impending probe and reasons for the investigations.
The letter written by Rose Menjo, the principal, also claimed that the DCI should have communicated through the County Director of Education as protocol demands before taking action.
However, the DCI wrote back to the school on November 23, 2023 confirming that they visited the school on October 9, 2023 to conduct preliminary investigations as per a report filed under Occurrence Book No. 89 dated October 6, 2023. The agency officers advised the school management to cooperate in the matter to ensure smooth investigations.
Ngeiywa also asked the school to operate under the guidance of section 103 of the Public Procurement Act in consultation with the school’s procurement team to ensure the smooth running of the institution.
When Education News contacted the implicated staff to share his part of the story, the reply to our text message inquiry was “No Comment”.
However, the Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili told Education News that audit reports she had received from both the county and regional school auditors under the Ministry of Education (MoE) did not indicate any malpractice in the institution.
“The reports I have received from auditors do not indicate conflict of interest anywhere and we keep hearing about that and we don’t know where it is coming from. The DCI has carried out the investigations, we have sent our officers, the county and regional school auditors, and there is nowhere in the report that indicates conflict of interest or undeclared interest in procurement,” said Mulili.
Mulili added that all those who have been awarded tenders in the school were interviewed and stated that none of them is linked to the said staff, urging those who have any information on the same to reach out to her office so that they can investigate it further with the relevant authorities.
She stated further that the DCI later wrote a letter allowing the school to continue with the tendering process.
Contacted, the BoM chairman Willy Kariuki said he could not comment on the matter as he was in office in acting capacity.
Nakuru Girls High School is one of the top schools in the country. It registered a KCSE mean score of 8.5 in last year’s KCSE and over 266 candidates in a class of 290 qualified for university.
By our reporter
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