The calm morning air in Bungoma was shattered by the arrival of a high-profile convoy as Busia Governor Paul Otuoma surrendered himself to anti-graft detectives. The interrogation marks a critical escalation in the state’s war on county-level impunity.

Busia Governor Paul Otuoma has spent the better part of Tuesday morning behind the closed doors of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) regional offices in Bungoma, fighting to clear his name over grave allegations of financial impropriety. Arriving at 9:30 AM, the county boss cut a figure of defiance mixed with resignation as he walked into a grilling session centered on an unexplained Ksh 176 million audit trail that has haunted his administration for months.

The 176 Million Shilling Question

The interrogation is not merely procedural; it is the culmination of a tightening dragnet. Detectives are probing specific audit queries that suggest massive irregularities in the procurement and expenditure systems of the Busia County Government. "I have come to respond to the summons and to fully cooperate with the investigators so that the matter can be clarified," Otuoma told the press briefly before disappearing inside, his tone measured but his predicament severe. The allegations strike at the heart of his administration's fiscal integrity, raising questions about whether the funds in question were siphoned off through ghost projects or inflated tenders.

A Pattern of Accountability

This development follows a recommendation by the Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC), which had previously flagged the suspicious expenditures. The Governor's inability to provide satisfactory explanations to the Senate has effectively handed the baton to criminal investigators.

• The Timeline: The probe dates back to audit queries raised in late 2025, which the county executive failed to resolve administratively.
• The Stakes: If found culpable, Otuoma risks not just impeachment but criminal prosecution, joining a growing list of governors whose tenures have been punctured by graft charges.

Political Shockwaves in Western

For the residents of Busia, who have long complained of stalled development and poor service delivery, the sight of their governor in the EACC crosshairs confirms their worst fears. The investigation is likely to destabilize the county's political leadership, with rivals already sharpening their knives for a potential power vacuum. As Otuoma records his statement, the message from the EACC is unequivocal: no office is too high, and no title is a shield against the demand for accountability. The "Pearl of the Border" is now a crime scene.