EACC freezes National Treasury staffer's accounts with over Sh18M

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has frozen the assets of a National Treasury officer who has over Sh18 million despite recent employment in the ministry.

Tracy Njoki King’e who is a finance officer in the National Treasury is being accused of embezzlement of public office funds and abuse of office. The anti-graft body obtained the orders to freeze the funds in different bank accounts after investigations between February 2020 and May 2022.

The investigations established that Njoki obtained facilitation and extraneous allowances amounting to Sh37 million. Njoki whose monthly basic salary is Sh50,954 is said to have received Sh24,119,926 of allowance in her Cooperative bank account.

“Tracy Njoki King'e earned an average monthly salary of Ksh50,954.53 between March 2020 and May 2022, which amounted to approximately Ksh1,350,000 during the period under investigation," EACC said.

She also received Sh11.8 million via her I&M bank account, a sum of Sh11 million was transferred to her fixed deposit accounts in the same bank while Sh498,000 was withdrawn in cash.

New Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak New Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak Pulse Live Kenya

"Between February 2022 and June 2022, Njoki received Sh11,899,052 as imprests, facilitation and extraneous allowance in her I&M bank account," EACC said.

Court documents said Njoki used the monies to purchase treasury bills.

"Preliminary investigations have further established that out of Ksh24 million received through her bank account, a sum of Ksh4.6 million was used to purchase Treasury Bills, while Ksh2.7 million is the balance in the account," read court documents.

Njoki has been an employee at the ministry since 2020 having previously worked under Ministry of Trade, State Department of Cooperatives in 2018.

The move by EACC comes days after it ordered the freezing of accounts and properties belonging to a Ministry of Lands employee whose wealth raised eye brows.

The staffer had amassed wealth surpassing Sh1.2 billion which did not match what he earned for the time he had been in employment.