Najib Balala former tourism CS arrested

Najib Balala former tourism CS arrested

Najib Balala former tourism CS arrested

Najib Balala, the former cabinet secretary for tourism, was taken into custody by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives on Friday. The CS, who worked for the past administration of President Uhuru Kenyatta, is detained on allegations of corruption.

Balala is being held accountable for an erroneous Ksh8.5 billion payment that was intended to finance the building of Utalii College in Kilifi County.The former CS was picked up in Nairobi on Thursday night and spent the night at Kilimani Police Station, according to EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi.

He is set to be flown to Malindi today where he is expected to take a plea at Malindi Law Courts.

“We arrested him yesterday and he spent the night at Kilimani. He is being transported to Malindi. He will be charged before Malindi Courts,” Ngumbi stated.

Balala was detained with three other people: a managing partner of an engineering firm, Leah Adda Gwiyo, the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism.”The commission conducted inquiries concerning the nonsensical disbursement of Ksh8.5 billion by the Tourism Fund, of which KSh4 billion was disbursed to Baseline Architects Ltd for advisory services concerning the proposed Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Vipingo, Kilifi county,” Ngumbi informed the media.As of December 2022, the institution was 77.74 percent, according to the Tourism Fund website. When it’s finished, 3,000 kids on campus should graduate each year.

Former Interior PS Karanja Kibicho earlier revealed that the institution had been during the reign of the late President Daniel Arap Moi and approved during President Mwai Kibaki’s administration.

However, after Uhuru took office, the project’s construction was completed during  the Jubilee administration. Balala and the co-accused are being prosecuted on over ten counts pertaining to the project.