The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Tuesday, August 26,202,5 has arrested Hezron Junior Opiyo, a senior accountant with the Siaya County Government, in connection with the alleged embezzlement of Ksh102.9 million through fictitious allowance claims.
Opiyo was taken into custody by EACC detectives and was later escorted under tight security from the Commission’s regional offices in Kisumu to the Kisumu Port Police Station, where he is being held pending arraignment.
According to an official statement from the EACC, the suspect is accused of orchestrating a complex scheme involving fraudulent payments of allowances, including non-existent travel claims, ghost meetings, and inflated facilitation allowances.
“Preliminary investigations have established that between 2022 and 2024, the suspect irregularly processed and approved multiple payments totaling KSh 102.9 million, all under the guise of staff facilitation and travel allowances,” said EACC Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi.
The Commission revealed that the fictitious allowances were channeled to accounts associated with non-existent employees and colluding insiders within the county government’s finance department.
The scheme, which has reportedly been running for at least two years, was unearthed following an internal audit and whistleblower reports.
“This is part of a wider operation targeting systemic corruption in county governments, where public officers have made it a norm to plunder public funds through allowance fraud,” added Ngumbi.
Opiyo is expected to be arraigned at the Kisumu Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, where he will face multiple counts, including embezzlement of public funds, abuse of office, and fraudulent acquisition of public property.
Sources close to the investigation indicate that more arrests could follow, as EACC widens the probe to include other senior officials in the finance and human resources departments, who may have either facilitated or benefited from the fraudulent payouts.
“We are following the money trail. Anyone found culpable, whether they authorized the payments or received the illegal funds, will be held accountable,” an EACC investigator involved in the probe said.
The Council of Governors has not yet issued a formal response, but insiders say discussions are ongoing to address the broader issue of rampant corruption in devolved units, with Siaya now under heightened scrutiny.
EACC has reiterated its commitment to dismantling corruption cartels operating within county governments and has urged the public to report any suspicious dealings involving public funds.
“Let this serve as a warning. No one is above the law, and we will not relent until public resources are safeguarded from theft,” said Ngumbi.
