Shocking reports have emerged at the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF), where concerned insiders have exposed the Project Implementation Unit Coordinator for manipulating the awarding of contracts under the Horn of Africa Groundwater for Resilience Project, a venture meant to provide water infrastructure across Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, and Garissa counties, by directing tenders toward companies that are reportedly proxies for his personal interests, bypassing standard evaluation processes and undermining the intended benefits of the initiative.
Sources claim that Mr Wesley Korir Chelule has allegedly pressured local evaluation teams by invoking the names of top government officials, including figures from State House and senior water sector leadership, to compel them to approve contracts to contractors who are aligned with his network, creating an atmosphere where county officers are said to have felt coerced into compliance while their professional judgment and the project’s integrity were compromised.
The allegations extend to claims that large financial kickbacks are involved, with Mr. Korir purportedly receiving substantial payments funneled through the evaluation teams in exchange for awarding contracts, a process that sources describe as draining public resources and diverting funds that were intended for urgently needed water infrastructure in some of Kenya’s driest regions.
In Turkana County, it is reported that Mr. Korir personally influenced the outcome of a key tender, pressuring the evaluation committee to favor a company under his control, with insiders suggesting that a similarly manipulative approach is planned for Wajir County, where authorities fear a repeat of the same methods if no oversight or intervention occurs.
The reports have also revealed that Mr. Korir has extended his activities to personal wealth accumulation, with intermediaries acting on his behalf to purchase high-value properties in Nairobi, an operation that observers interpret as a reflection of how public resources and authority are being leveraged for private gain, complicating efforts to maintain integrity in a project meant to serve vulnerable populations.
Public reaction among civil society members and water sector observers has reportedly intensified, with calls for immediate investigation and intervention to address what is described as a deeply entrenched network of favoritism and monetary diversion, and to hold those implicated accountable for the apparent misuse of authority and funds designated for crucial water projects.
Insiders have further suggested that more revelations are imminent, with details expected to surface in the coming days regarding other actors within the water sector and State House who may have played a role in facilitating or condoning the alleged misconduct, signaling that the full scale of the operations attributed to Mr. Korir could dramatically alter public understanding of governance and oversight challenges in Kenya’s water infrastructure development.
“Hi Nyakundi. Mr. Wesley Korir Chelule is the Project Implementation Unit Coordinator for the Water Sector Trust Fund (WSTF). Mr. Korir is corrupt. He is stealing from the people of Kenya. He is involved in a major scheme for the “Horn of Africa Groundwater for Resilience Project.” This project is for four counties: Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, and Garissa.
(1) He Gives Contracts to His PROXIES: Mr. Korir influences the awarding of contracts. He makes sure the contracts go to Indian and Somali contractors who are his proxies. These companies are his front. They are not the most qualified.
(2) He Uses Powerful Names to Threaten People: Mr. Korir uses the names of big BOYS in government. He uses names from State House, the CEO of the Water Fund, and Principal Secretaries water Mr. Korir. He uses these names to threaten, harass, and intimidate the evaluation teams in the counties. He forces them to do what he wants.
(3) He Demands Massive Bribes: Mr. Korir asks for and receives huge bribes. He does this through the evaluation teams. He gets a massive kickback for every contract he manipulates.
(4) The Turkana Case: In Turkana County, he bullied the evaluation team. He forced them to award a contract to a company that is his proxy. He received a very large kickback for this.
(5) He is Moving to Wajir: Now, Mr. Korir is taking his dirty work to Wajir County. He plans to do the same thing there. He must be stopped.
If the President is serious about fighting corruption, he must act now. Mr. Wesley Korir Chelule must be dealt with urgently. He must be investigated, arrested, and prosecuted. Wesley is also said to be hunting for a big house in Nairobi to buy; we know who he sent to do the house buying for him.
This is not the end. In the next few days, we will expose everything. We will reveal all his corrupt dealings. We will name the “big boys” in the water sector and the State House cartels he uses to bully his way through.”
There are now growing calls from civil society organizations, sector watchdogs, and concerned county officials for an urgent and comprehensive investigation into the alleged conduct of Mr. Korir, with sources suggesting that multiple layers of oversight may have been bypassed and that the alleged network of influence could extend to other senior figures within the Water Sector Trust Fund and associated governmental offices, raising fears that the continued implementation of the Horn of Africa Groundwater for Resilience Project could be severely compromised if immediate corrective measures are not taken to restore accountability and transparency.
Insiders further claim that the mounting public and professional scrutiny has prompted anxiety among local evaluation teams and contractors, who reportedly feel caught between the pressure to comply with directives from higher-ups and the ethical responsibility to execute their duties in a manner that genuinely benefits the communities in Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir, and Garissa counties, highlighting the complex web of influence and coercion that allegedly underpins the project’s current tendering processes.
In addition, stakeholders monitoring the water sector have warned that the alleged diversion of funds through kickbacks and proxy contracts not only threatens the successful completion of critical infrastructure projects in arid regions but also undermines public trust in institutions designed to manage and deploy resources for essential services, with sources suggesting that prolonged inaction could embolden similar patterns of manipulation in other government-funded development initiatives across the country.
Observers have also raised concerns that the intertwining of public authority and private gain, as allegedly demonstrated by Mr. Korir’s purported property acquisitions and network of favoured contractors, sets a troubling precedent for governance within Kenya’s water sector, potentially deterring legitimate investors, complicating donor engagement, and eroding the efficiency and fairness of future procurement processes meant to address water scarcity in vulnerable counties.
