Twenty-two officials from the Bungoma County Assembly have been summoned by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over alleged misuse of public funds connected to a 2019 benchmarking trip to Uganda and a Christmas tree lighting event at the Governor’s Office.
In a notice issued by the commission’s Western Regional Office, the officials have been directed to appear before investigators in Bungoma on different dates between February 26 and March 9, 2026.
They are expected to record statements and respond to questions as detectives investigate suspected fraud and theft of public money.
The total amount under review for the two activities stands at Sh6,569,000.
According to the commission, the inquiry centres on alleged irregular imprest payments issued for a benchmarking visit to Mbale, Uganda, which was conducted ahead of the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at the Governor’s Office in 2019.
Initial findings indicate that Sh2.8 million may have been spent on the Uganda trip, while Sh3.7 million is linked to the festive event.
“The individuals have been scheduled to present themselves at the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma on diverse dates between February 26 and March 9 this year, to aid with the investigations,” reads a notice by the EACC Western Regional Director addressed to the Clerk of the County Assembly of Bungoma.
Investigators are reviewing documents to establish how the funds were requested and spent.
These include imprest warrants, cashbooks, bank deposit slips, personal files of the officials and all correspondence related to both the benchmarking trip and the Christmas celebrations.
The commission has also instructed the Clerk of the County Assembly to ensure that all the listed officials appear on their assigned dates without fail.
The summons follows concerns raised by the Senate Public Accounts Committee, which flagged possible irregularities in the Auditor General’s report on Bungoma County. The audit findings prompted the anti-graft agency to open investigations.
The commission reiterated its commitment to safeguarding public resources and enforcing accountability.
“We are determined to ensure that public funds are protected and accountability is enforced at all levels of government,” he said, underlining the significance of the ongoing investigations.
