This archive report was first published on 7 December 2019.
On December 7, 2019, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Thomas Gitau, a senior assistant accountant general at the Ministry of Interior, had accumulated Sh115 million in property and cash deposits without providing a credible explanation for the source of the funds.
Gitau, who earned a basic salary of Sh120,000, had deposited Sh5 million every month into his 10 bank accounts, sparking questions about the origin of the surplus amounts. The EACC investigation found that Gitau had properties worth Sh115 million, including a Sh27 million house in Nairobi's Thome estate, a Sh26 million property in Kitengela, and Sh17.5 million apartments in Kabete.
The EACC also discovered cash deposits of up to Sh89.1 million in Gitau's bank accounts, which were deposited in various accounts on a daily basis through his wife and lawyer. The deposits were made in amounts less than Sh1 million to avoid reporting requirements to the Central Bank of Kenya.
During the investigation, the EACC found $3,500 and Sh6.9 million in Gitau's office at Harambee House, which he claimed was petty cash. He also volunteered to return Sh200,000 from the Sh350,000 during the probe. The EACC also found Sh1.2 million in his house located at Marurui estate, Nairobi County.
The EACC alleged that Gitau stole millions of shillings from taxpayers meant for emergency security operations, coinciding with his appointment to the position of Senior Assistant Accountant General at the State Department for Interior and Co-ordination of National Government.
Justice John Onyiego ruled that the property should be seized by the government because the couple had failed to give a credible explanation as to how they had acquired the property.
