Deputy Chief of Staff Eliud Owalo has revealed that President William Ruto, together with the Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, has launched a tough crackdown on corrupt government officials accused of secretly running state projects through their own private companies.
Speaking during an interview with NTV on Thursday, September 11, Owalo said the president has made it clear that any official found guilty of this conflict of interest will not only be sacked immediately but will also face legal consequences.
According to him, this shady practice of colluding with contractors after projects are awarded is one of the biggest reasons behind stalled or delayed government projects.
“Those in government who want to do business should step out into the private sector. You cannot sit in government and, at the same time, award yourself tenders through the backdoor. This conflict of interest is exactly what has stalled so many projects across the country,” Owalo explained.
He added, “The message from the president and the Head of Public Service is clear: if you are caught dipping your hands into public funds, you will be forced to resign and later face the full force of the law.”
Owalo stressed that despite resistance, the government will press forward with reforms meant to dismantle cartels, starting with the digitization of procurement. The e-procurement system, he said, is designed to lock out corrupt dealings that thrive in manual processes.
“We know the pitfalls we are facing today are because certain individuals in government collude with contractors for selfish gains. That is why we are embracing e-procurement, even though you can see cartels pushing back because they fear transparency,” Owalo remarked.
His comments came just a week after President Ruto publicly warned officials opposed to the new system to resign if they cannot support reforms.
Addressing residents in Siaya on August 31, the president said the electronic procurement system (eGP) will not be reversed under his administration, no matter how loud the opposition gets.
Ruto accused some senior officials of sponsoring negative media reports to discredit the e-procurement system by falsely linking it to exaggerated spending. “On e-procurement, a lot of people are used to shady deals in procurement.
We have said no more. The new system will allow us to see the real cost of items purchased. Some officers don’t want this transparency, so they are sponsoring headlines to paint it as wasteful. But we won’t be distracted by their noise,” Ruto said.
He added that any official unwilling to align with his reform agenda should “pack up and go find another job,” insisting that his government is determined to eliminate corruption in procurement and ensure accountability for every shilling spent.
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