Garissa Governor Nathif Jama has suffered a blow in the run up to the general elections, after his account was frozen.
The High Court on Friday froze the account to allow the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to scrutinise transactions amounting to Sh5.2 billion over the last four years.
According to court filings, EACC believes the money, which is held in Mr Jama’s account in Nairobi’s South C branch of the First Community Bank, was fraudulently transferred from the county government of Garissa.
“The respondent, by himself or through his agents or servants, be and is hereby prohibited from transferring, disposing of, wasting, or in any other way dealing with First Community Bank Ltd South C branch (account number withheld) for a period of six months,” Justice Lydia Achode ruled.
This is not the first time Jama has been accused of misuse of public funds, having been charged in 2015, together with six former county tender committee members, with irregularly leasing ambulances for the county from the Kenya Red Cross.
The case is ongoing, and Jama has also survived attempts to impeach him brought in 2014 by MCAs accusing him of flouting procurement rules.
Jama, who is vying on a Wiper Party ticket, will battle it out with former Permanent Secretary and his arch political rival Ali Bunow Korane in next month’s polls.