KRA official on the spot over mysterious wealth acquired

juma chrispinus

July 24, 2018 8:53 AM

The High Court has ordered a freeze of all accounts.

The shock of how Sh119,000-a-month salary translated to Sh650 million in net worthy has prompted the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) to freeze the accounts of an employee of Kenya Revenue Authority.

A Joseph Chege Gikonyo, declared his wealth to be estimated to be over Sh615 million, a declaration that forced the EACC to apply to for a court order freezing all his bank accounts.

According to the Standard, EACC is now pursuing Gikonyo's frozen accounts in bid to establish how he amassed wealth which he has spread Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties.

All these investments are valued at Sh355 million. Mr Gikonyo also has bank deposits (in different banks) valued at Sh399 million.

In addition, Mr Gikonyo owns Giche Company Limited in partnership with his wife Lucy Kangai. He also owns two posh property in Mombasa and Kilifi counties valued at Sh26 million and Sh27 million respectively. This is in addition to two plots in Mombasa valued at over Sh125million.

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“Other property at the Coast includes a Sh40 million house in Mombasa town, land in Kwale valued at Sh2.5 million and another plot in Mtwapa valued at Sh2 million,” the Standard writes.

He also has 13 plots in Nairobi’s Sosian, Umoja, Vescon and Greenspan estates, whose total value is over Sh129 million.

EACC officials also established that his mobile number received Sh43, 913,116. He is said to have received this money from directors and managers of clearing and forwarding companies. Gikonyo is also servicing an insurance for his family valued at Sh3.7 million.

He joined the Kenya Revenue Authority in 1998 as a tax collector in Oloitoktok where he as earning Sh24,000, and is currently the manager at Eldoret KRA offices, taking home Sh119,000 as net pay.

juma chrispinus