Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi has strongly condemned a recent raid by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), terming it as political intimidation aimed at derailing his administration’s progress. The governor was speaking after being grilled at EACC Headquarters following a Tuesday operation that saw his home and those of eight senior county officials raided.
Wamatangi dismissed the corruption allegations, accusing unnamed political actors of orchestrating a smear campaign against his government. “You want to soil our names. I am not afraid; I will not be cowed nor intimidated,” he declared.
The EACC said it was executing search warrants at the residences and offices of the nine individuals as part of ongoing investigations into alleged financial and procurement malpractices. The focus of the probe is a Sh230 million contract awarded during the 2022/2023 financial year for the supply and implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
According to EACC, the investigation targets possible conflict of interest, procurement irregularities, and abuse of office by senior county officials. The commission noted that the operation has yielded critical evidence necessary for the probe.
However, Wamatangi expressed outrage over the scale of the operation, claiming it was excessive and intended to intimidate. “There is no reason why more than 50 police officers can wake up to my home and almost 200 deployed to various ministers’ offices. The reason is only one — they are targeting my ministers who perform because they want to make my government a failure,” he stated.
The governor insisted that if the commission had genuine concerns, they should have summoned him instead of raiding his residence. He also affirmed his willingness to cooperate, offering to provide documentation to support his administration’s procurement decisions.
Following the raid, supporters gathered at Wamatangi’s residence, protesting what they termed as politically motivated harassment. They carried leaves, sang, and danced in solidarity with the governor.
Despite the ongoing investigations, Wamatangi vowed to remain steadfast in his leadership, pledging to accelerate development projects in Kiambu and prove his critics wrong
