Anonymous whistleblowers have exposed a corrupt and greedy official in the Ministry of Water who is minting millions of shillings through unscrupulous backdoor deals.
Sources say that Mr Samuel Alima has been pocketing fat envelopes as kickbacks for helping fraudulent entrepreneurs secure lucrative tenders in the docket.
Mr Alima boasts of strong links in the procurement department, where he recommends his female “clients” in exchange for sexual favours.
During the last elections, the crooked official was warming towards Azimio leader Raila Odinga, with the hopes of landing a plum job once he got into power.
He was specifically eyeing the Principal Secretary (PS) position, a dream that was painfully shot down by President William Ruto’s emphantic win.
Apart from soliciting kickbacks, Mr Alima also runs numerous proxy companies operated by close friends and relatives to unlawfully land big tenders at the ministry, making him an overnight millionaire.
Besides his position at the water ministry, he is also a member of the National Irrigation Authority – a role which he relishes to its full benefit.
He abuses his influence at the state agency to bag profitable deals and has been coercing his colleagues on the board to back him to become a director.
This would offer him a chance to chair the procurement committee or that of finance, so he can oversee tender awards and see how payments are made.
His ring of cartels includes Sharon Abonyo, the acting chief executive of the National Water Harvesting and Storage Authority, located along Dunga Road in South B.
Mr Alima has immense influence over Ms Abonyo and takes advantage of their close ties to control how tenders are awarded.
Ms Abonyo’s contract expired in November 2021, but Mr Alima and his cartel of Luo tribesmen ensured she remained in office to aid the looting.
When former National Water Authority board chairman Erick Okeyo tried to push out Ms Abonyo, he received threats which saw him exit the board and leave her behind.
The duo also colludes with finance manager Patrick Ataro and Joseph Ojiambo who works as the Human Resource Manager.
Mr Alima’s firms have bagged all the big projects at the National Water.
This is one reason he wants his mistress, Sharon, to continue serving in an acting capacity.
He lured the National Water board Chairman, Directors and Mrs Obonyo to deploy vehicles to be used in Raila Odinga’s campaigns in Homa Bay and Kisumu counties.
Vehicles of registration numbers KCD 304J, KCD 305J, KCD 306J, KCD 364G and KCH 275 M bought with taxpayer’s money, were misused in the last campaigns where they took a partisan role.
They also irregularly awarded the tender for the construction of Koru Dam, where National Water made a payment of Sh300 million in advance, but the construction is yet to take off.
The Authority is now on the EACC’s radar after a Chinese contractor, J&K Investment, claimed Sh1 billion in a project that should have cost Sh213 million.
The tender was marred with malpractices with Mr Alima and his crooks receiving hefty kickbacks from the tendering of Naku’etum Peace Dam.
EACC is also investigating five top officials in connection with the scam under Investigation File Number: EACC/PI/ INQ/33/2020.
Mr Alima who protects corrupt CEOs in the ministry is also facing allegations of sexual harassment of senior female managers.
It is an open secret that he demands sexual relationships with all the female managers in exchange for helping their cronies or proxy companies bag tenders at the ministry.
