Police have opened an
investigation into suspected fraud involving billions of shillings meant for
resettling displaced people. Former officials of the National Coordination
Consultative Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (NCCC) have been accused
of diverting compensation funds to private accounts. In total, 18 suspects are
being sought for questioning by officers from the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations (DCI) in connection with suspected theft of the cash meant to
compensate those evicted from forests and displaced by post-election violence
(PEV). Tampered list One former top official is suspected of
tampering with lists of names of internally displaced persons (IDPs) while
overseeing the vetting of victims in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Kericho, Kisii,
Nakuru, Kiambu and Nyandarua counties. The other individuals are said to have
been used to fraudulently collect compensation money in the seven counties.
“The (name withheld) tampered with the 2007/2008 PEVs victims’ list and
further manipulated the forest eviction lists while overseeing the vetting of
the IDPs at the NCCC ahead of compensation. Later, with the help of 17 known
accomplices, the official used fake lists to divert IDP compensation funds for
private use,” said Nandi County Criminal Investigations Officer Sammy Mukeku.
Stay informed while on the go by subscribing to the Standard Group SMS service.
Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840. Also wanted for questioning is an official of a
lobby group who investigators believe is in possession of crucial IDP documents
that disappeared from the NCCC offices t Posta Plaza and which were used to
conduct the alleged fraudulent activities. The fraud is said to have involved a
group of people who used fake lists to claim money meant for genuine IDPs in
the affected counties. The office of the DCI has claimed that data on the IDPs’
register was revised by suspects in the NCCC, creating loopholes for
illegitimate members to be compensated. In 2017, the Devolution ministry,
through then Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, reported that the Government
had spent over Sh17.5 billion on the IDP compensation. According to IDP data
from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, at least 660,000 people were displaced
during the 2007/2008 post-election violence. The DCI report indicates that the
former official and accomplices had help from local administrators and several
heads of IDP groupings to commit the fraud. Also involved were a number of
financial institutions. Fake promises The former official is said to have
opened an office for the illegal registration of new IDPs with fake promises of
more compensation. “The suspect has an office in Juja, where illegal
registration of more IDPs is being conducted at charges ranging from Sh3,000 to
Sh25,000,” states the police report. The detectives have been looking for the
former official from her homes in Nandi County and are said to be monitoring
her other homes in Nyandarua County. The current NCCC chairman, Adan Wachu, who
spoke to The Standard on the phone, said his committee was not involved in the
suspected fraud, adding that it had taken all the IDPs through thorough
vetting. “The lists of IDPs went through vetting with help from public
administrators and chairmen of IDP networks,” said Mr Wachu
investigation into suspected fraud involving billions of shillings meant for
resettling displaced people. Former officials of the National Coordination
Consultative Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (NCCC) have been accused
of diverting compensation funds to private accounts. In total, 18 suspects are
being sought for questioning by officers from the Directorate of Criminal
Investigations (DCI) in connection with suspected theft of the cash meant to
compensate those evicted from forests and displaced by post-election violence
(PEV). Tampered list One former top official is suspected of
tampering with lists of names of internally displaced persons (IDPs) while
overseeing the vetting of victims in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia, Kericho, Kisii,
Nakuru, Kiambu and Nyandarua counties. The other individuals are said to have
been used to fraudulently collect compensation money in the seven counties.
“The (name withheld) tampered with the 2007/2008 PEVs victims’ list and
further manipulated the forest eviction lists while overseeing the vetting of
the IDPs at the NCCC ahead of compensation. Later, with the help of 17 known
accomplices, the official used fake lists to divert IDP compensation funds for
private use,” said Nandi County Criminal Investigations Officer Sammy Mukeku.
Stay informed while on the go by subscribing to the Standard Group SMS service.
Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840. Also wanted for questioning is an official of a
lobby group who investigators believe is in possession of crucial IDP documents
that disappeared from the NCCC offices t Posta Plaza and which were used to
conduct the alleged fraudulent activities. The fraud is said to have involved a
group of people who used fake lists to claim money meant for genuine IDPs in
the affected counties. The office of the DCI has claimed that data on the IDPs’
register was revised by suspects in the NCCC, creating loopholes for
illegitimate members to be compensated. In 2017, the Devolution ministry,
through then Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, reported that the Government
had spent over Sh17.5 billion on the IDP compensation. According to IDP data
from the Kenya Human Rights Commission, at least 660,000 people were displaced
during the 2007/2008 post-election violence. The DCI report indicates that the
former official and accomplices had help from local administrators and several
heads of IDP groupings to commit the fraud. Also involved were a number of
financial institutions. Fake promises The former official is said to have
opened an office for the illegal registration of new IDPs with fake promises of
more compensation. “The suspect has an office in Juja, where illegal
registration of more IDPs is being conducted at charges ranging from Sh3,000 to
Sh25,000,” states the police report. The detectives have been looking for the
former official from her homes in Nandi County and are said to be monitoring
her other homes in Nyandarua County. The current NCCC chairman, Adan Wachu, who
spoke to The Standard on the phone, said his committee was not involved in the
suspected fraud, adding that it had taken all the IDPs through thorough
vetting. “The lists of IDPs went through vetting with help from public
administrators and chairmen of IDP networks,” said Mr Wachu