How teacher, banker drew 'salaries' from assembly they never served

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The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has secured a court order requiring a former Homa Bay County Assembly clerk and two others to refund Sh12.57 million in public funds.

In a judgment delivered on October 16, 2026, Justice Benjamin Musyoki ruled that payments made to Lillian Achieng and David Obonyo from the assembly’s salary suspense account between 2015 and 2017 were fraudulent and unlawful.

The court found former assembly clerk Bob Kephas Otieno liable for authorising the transfers, while Achieng and Obonyo were held liable for receiving public money for work not done or services not rendered.

According to the EACC, Otieno authorised transfers totalling Sh12,571,166.50 to a joint bank account held by Achieng and Obonyo between December 24, 2015, and December 22, 2017.

Investigations established that Achieng was a teacher employed by the Teachers Service Commission, while Obonyo worked as Equity Bank’s business growth and development manager at its Homa Bay branch during the period under investigation.

Neither recipient was an employee of the county assembly or county government. The commission also established that neither was a supplier or contractor to either institution.

The EACC said the transfers occurred on sporadic dates and involved varying amounts, a pattern inconsistent with regular salary payments.

The commission subsequently filed a recovery suit, ACEC Suit No. E011 of 2022, seeking to recover the money for the government.