Investigation Details

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is seeking to recover KSh 63.7 million paid by the Kiambu County Government to a firm that allegedly secured a KSh 230 million technology contract using forged documents. According to court filings dated early November 2025, the anti-graft body accuses Filtronic International Limited and its directors—Bernard Theuri, Chen Ligou, and Martha Wachinga—of engaging in fraudulent practices, including submitting falsified audit reports and fictitious bank statements to win the lucrative tender.

The contract, awarded on Monday, April 24, 2023, was for the supply and installation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system intended to digitize and streamline the county's operations under the administration of Governor Kimani Wamatangi. The EACC's investigation, which became public following court action, alleges a calculated scheme to deceive procurement officials.

Allegations of Forgery and Deceit

The EACC's case outlines several instances of alleged forgery. Investigators claim Filtronic International submitted audited financial statements for the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, purportedly certified by a local auditor, MSM Chris & Associates. However, the EACC states the audit firm has denied ever conducting the audits, rendering the documents forgeries. These documents were critical for meeting a mandatory requirement of the tender: an average annual turnover of KSh 400 million.

Furthermore, the commission alleges that the company submitted doctored bank statements for a US dollar account at NCBA Bank to create a false impression of a healthy cash flow. The tender documents also required proof of qualified technical staff, but the EACC claims the credentials provided were for fictitious employees. The investigation highlights a glaring procurement anomaly: despite the high value of the contract, Filtronic International was the sole bidder. The tender was evaluated and the contract signed within an unusually rapid 18-day period following the submission deadline of Thursday, April 6, 2023.

Payments and Contract Extension

Court documents reveal that Kiambu County had already paid Filtronic KSh 63.7 million in six separate installments by June 2025. The original six-month contract reportedly expired in November 2023. However, the EACC alleges that a senior county official illegally granted a 52-week extension in February 2024, allowing payments to continue despite the project allegedly having stalled. Following the EACC's intervention, the High Court has issued a temporary order freezing the payment of the remaining KSh 166 million balance pending the hearing of the recovery suit scheduled for Thursday, November 13, 2025, EAT.

This case is part of a wider probe into procurement irregularities within Kiambu County. In an operation on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, EACC detectives raided the homes and offices of Governor Wamatangi and eight senior county officials, recovering KSh 12 million and USD 13,000 in cash from the governor's residence. The EACC stated the raids were connected to investigations into procurement malpractices, including the ERP tender.

Official Responses and Broader Context

Governor Wamatangi has publicly dismissed the allegations and the subsequent EACC raids as a politically motivated witch-hunt aimed at destabilizing his administration. Speaking after being questioned by the EACC in April 2025, he stated, "It is purely political intimidation... they are targeting my ministers who perform because they want to make my government a failure." Several Kiambu Members of County Assembly (MCAs) have also voiced their support for the governor, echoing his claims that the anti-graft agency is being used to settle political scores.

The directors of Filtronic International Limited have not issued a public statement in response to the allegations. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REQUIRED. Interestingly, the company's own website describes its primary business as a "Purchasing & Sales of Aircraft Parts, Ground and Airport Equipment," a field distinctly different from the sophisticated IT services specified in the county tender.

This scandal underscores the persistent challenges of procurement fraud that plague many Kenyan counties, often involving collusion, forgery, and the awarding of single-bidder tenders. The Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and the Office of the Auditor-General have repeatedly flagged weaknesses in county procurement systems, which cost taxpayers billions of shillings annually. The outcome of the EACC's civil suit and any potential criminal proceedings by the Director of Public Prosecutions will be closely watched as a test of accountability for the management of public funds at the devolved level.