Fresh claims inside the Kenya Rural Roads Authority point to a dirty plot to buy KERRA DG position using cash, influence, and fear. At the centre of the storm sits Acting Director General Eng. Jackson Magondu. Multiple sources allege he has mobilized friendly contractors to raise millions to secure his confirmation.
They claim he has leaned on powerful names in government while silencing critics inside KeRRA. The allegations revive dark memories of past scandals that turned the roads agency into a looting den.
How the Buy KERRA DG Position Scheme Allegedly Works
Eng. Jackson Magondu applied for the Director General job after the position was advertised. He attended interviews alongside other candidates. On paper, the process looks clean. Behind the scenes, insiders describe a very different story.
Several sources within KeRRA say Magondu panicked after the interviews. They claim he feared losing the job on merit. Soon after, he allegedly reached out to construction firms that have long enjoyed KeRRA contracts. The goal, sources say, was simple. Raise millions fast. Use the money to influence the final decision.
The firms allegedly approached share one thing. They have benefited from repeated tenders, project variations, and inflated road costs. Insiders say Magondu fronted some of these companies through loyal managers he promoted at headquarters and in regional offices.
Sources further claim Magondu bragged about backing from Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei. No public evidence confirms these claims. However, insiders insist Magondu used the names to intimidate staff and rivals.
At KeRRA, fear spreads quickly. Employees say questioning the acting DG invites transfers, sidelining, or stalled promotions. This climate, sources argue, makes it easy to run a scheme to buy KERRA DG position without resistance.
Allegations of Abuse and Internal Silence
Beyond money, Magondu faces troubling personal allegations. Female staff at KeRRA headquarters have privately complained about sexual harassment. Sources say the complaints never moved far. Senior managers allegedly buried them to protect the acting DG during the recruitment period.
No court has ruled on these claims. No public investigation has concluded. Still, the silence raises hard questions. Why did the complaints stall? Who blocked action? And why now, when Magondu seeks confirmation, do these claims resurface?
Insiders say the answer lies in power. Once confirmed, a DG controls budgets worth billions. They control tenders, postings, and careers. Staff fear that exposing abuse could cost them everything.
A Deputy Sidelined as Power Games Deepen
Sources also describe open hostility between Magondu and his deputy, Eng. Enock Arita Kombo. They say Magondu has “no kind words” for Kombo and views him as a threat.
Kombo holds deep institutional knowledge. Insiders believe Magondu fears Kombo could expose irregular dealings. This fear, they say, fuels the rush to buy the KERRA DG position before rivals regroup.
KeRRA’s Corrupt Past Fuels Present Fears
KeRRA carries a heavy history. For years, engineers and officials treated it as a cash cow. Inflated tenders, fake variations, and ghost works drained public funds meant for rural roads.
Former Director General Philemon Kandie became the face of that era. In October 2025, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officers arrested Kandie in a night raid. They seized electronics and documents from his home. Investigators questioned him over graft and financial mismanagement during his time at KeRRA.
Kandie had resigned earlier, two years before his term ended. At the time, KeRRA gave no reason. Later, a High Court petition accused him of using his office to funnel state funds through shell companies to finance June protests. Kandie denied the claims. Investigations continue.
Kandie’s fall still haunts KeRRA. Staff say the agency never cleaned house. The same networks survived. The same firms kept winning tenders. The same engineers stayed powerful.
Why the DG Seat Attracts Dirty Money
The DG controls procurement approvals, project priorities, and internal audits. One signature can unlock billions. That power explains why insiders call the seat “every crooked engineer’s dream.”
Sources argue that any serious reform would scare those feeding off the system. That fear, they say, drives attempts to buy the KERRA DG position rather than win it fairly.
Public Cost of a Corrupt Appointment
If the claims hold water, the cost will hit ordinary Kenyans. Rural roads will fail. Projects will stall. Tax money will vanish into private pockets.
Kenyans have seen this movie before. Kandie’s arrest showed where unchecked power leads. Confirming a DG under a cloud of allegations risks repeating the same mistakes.
The appointing authorities now face a clear test. They can insist on integrity, transparency, and open scrutiny. Or they can ignore the warnings and gamble with public trust.
For KeRRA, this decision will shape the agency for years. For Kenyans, it will determine whether roads money builds roads or fuels corruption once again.
