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EACC arrests Kebs MD Bernard Njiraini


The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini has been arrested.

The Kebs boss was arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) sleuths on Thursday morning, July 2, 2020.

He was whisked to the EACC headquarters at the Integrity Centre, where he recorded a statement.

The anti-graft agency said Njiraini was arrested for interfering with the probe into illegal procurement dealings, thus derailing investigation process by the agency.

“Today, EACC arrested Mr Benard Njiraini as a penal consequence of failing to comply with a notice issued to him pursuant to Section 27 and Section 66 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act No. 3 of 2003. This is with a view of obtaining the said documents and preferring charges against him for his contravention,” read a section of the statement.

The Kebs boss is accused of thwarting efforts to investigate corruption dealings into the tendering process on used motor vehicles, mobile equipment and spare parts as well as pre-export conformity of goods.

The move comes barely a year since Njiraini was appointed as the MD for Kebs in August 2019 where he pledged to rid the corporation of graft scandals which have rocked it for a long time.

Njiraini succeeded Charles Ongwae, the former Kebs MD, who was kicked out in January 2019 on abuse of office and withholding government tax revenue charges.