In a case filed before the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court in Nairobi, Lady Justice Lucy Njuguna issued interim orders on December 8, 2025, temporarily restraining the payment of Ksh.6,167,797,655 pending the hearing and determination of the matter.
According to the EACC, the payments were claimed by companies associated with Ben Gethi Wangui, Elizabeth Wangeci Ngugi and Susan Nyambura Mburu, among others. The firms include Schoolwork Enterprises, Newtool Mart Trading, Ratego Technologies, Realtool Trading, Comptool Trading, Horizon Limited, Liz Link General Suppliers, Link General, Jimchar Enterprises Limited and Tison Limited.
The Commission said it launched investigations after receiving a report from Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Public Affairs, Gender, Senior Citizens and Special Programmes, who raised concerns over the authenticity of payment claims amounting to approximately Ksh.6 billion submitted to NYS by various suppliers.
Investigations allegedly revealed that six of the companies, named in the suit as the 1st to 6th defendants, submitted 277 Local Purchase Orders (LPOs), delivery notes and invoices demanding payment of Ksh.6,167,797,655 for the alleged supply of goods to NYS during the 2013/2014, 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 financial years.
However, the EACC found that NYS officials colluded with the companies to falsify procurement and accounting documents, including LPOs, Goods Received Notes (S13), Stock Control Cards (S3), and inspection and acceptance forms.
The officials are accused of fraudulently signing the documents despite knowing that no goods had been delivered to NYS central or mother units, no inspections were conducted, and no items were distributed to sub-units. The officials involved are named in the suit as the 7th to 15th defendants.
An analysis of payment vouchers and annexures submitted to the EACC exposed widespread irregularities.
These included missing requisitions, LPOs not signed by an accountant to commit funds as required under the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015, and LPOs lacking official NYS stamps.
Further, investigations established that most of the LPOs and S13 forms were counterfeit. Out of the documents reviewed, 248 were not printed by the Government Printer or issued to NYS.
Genuine government procurement documents are printed using a flexographic process, while those presented by the companies bore computer-generated characters, indicating forgery.
Although 29 LPOs were confirmed to have been printed by the Government Printer, they were traced to batches issued to other government institutions, not NYS.
The EACC also found inconsistencies in delivery notes, some of which did not specify quantities supplied, while others falsely indicated delivery where none occurred.
Store records were allegedly manipulated to suggest receipt and distribution of goods, and Ministerial Tender Committee minutes attached to some payment vouchers were found to relate to unrelated procurement processes.
The Commission concluded that no goods were delivered to NYS. It further alleged that the then Director of Finance at NYS, Samuel Mudanyi Wachenje, abused his position by signing 245 of the 277 LPOs despite allegedly knowing they were fictitious.
On December 5, 2025, the EACC filed HCACEC Suit No. E049 of 2025 seeking a permanent injunction to restrain NYS from honouring the payment vouchers and paying the Sh6.16 billion to the defendant companies. The court granted temporary injunctive orders on December 8. By Dzuya Walter, Citizen Digital
