Former intelligence officer with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) went into exile in Europe and filed suit against the commission, alleging a cover-up of a high-value corruption scandal and a sustained campaign of victimisation following his disclosures.
Henry Muriungi Kathurima, previously attached to the commission’s Bungoma regional office, has moved to the Employment and Labour Relations Court seeking redress over what he terms as constructive dismissal, violation of labour rights, and institutional failure to act on intelligence reports. The petition outlines a sequence of events that, if substantiated, could raise serious questions about internal accountability mechanisms within the anti-graft body.
According to pleadings before court, Kathurima claims to have uncovered irregularities in the procurement of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system within the County Government of Kakamega during the tenure of former governor Wycliffe Ambetsa Oparanya. The project, awarded to Sybyl Kenya Limited, allegedly involved the disbursement of approximately Kshs 987.7 million between 2018 and 2021 for services he contends were either partially delivered or non-existent.
He avers that he compiled and submitted intelligence briefs to senior officers within the commission, including regional and national intelligence leadership, but no formal investigations were initiated. The filings further allege that the matter was not entered into the commission’s official case management systems, effectively halting any investigative action.
The claimant contends that shortly after escalating the matter, he became the subject of adverse administrative actions. These, he states, included disciplinary proceedings linked to prior operational incidents, redeployment from investigative duties to administrative roles, and exclusion from core operational platforms. He further alleges that institutional decisions blocked his professional advancement, including an opportunity for postgraduate studies.
In supporting documents, Kathurima also raises concerns about his personal safety. In correspondence addressed to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), he reports incidents he interprets as security threats, including a break-in at his residence and concerns over the mechanical integrity of an official vehicle assigned to him. He further claims to have received intelligence suggesting surveillance of his immediate family.
The allegations remain unproven, and there has been no official response on record from the commission or the individuals named in the filings at the time of publication.
Kathurima resigned from the EACC in January 2024, citing concerns over his safety and working environment, and subsequently relocated abroad. His case now before the court is expected to test the legal thresholds around whistleblower protection, employer liability, and institutional accountability within Kenya’s public service.
Legal analysts indicate that the matter could set a significant precedent, particularly in relation to how state agencies handle internal disclosures of corruption. As the case proceeds, attention is likely to focus on whether the allegations of procurement irregularities within Kakamega County will trigger independent investigations or oversight interventions.
