The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has arrested a Turkana County Government nurse and a company director over allegations of conflict of interest, money laundering and the acquisition of proceeds of crime involving more than Sh2.76 million in public funds.
The suspects are Gilbert Suleiman Eskuku, a registered nurse employed by the county government, and Abass Abdi Yusuf, a director of Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited. The company has also been listed as an accused party following investigations into payments it received from the County Government of Turkana.
According to details released by the EACC and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the three accused face allegations relating to Sh2,763,811.05 paid to Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited by the county government.
The prosecution alleges that between July 1, 2020, and July 5, 2021, Eskuku, Yusuf and the company, through their positions as directors and signatories to the company's bank accounts, acquired the funds while knowing or having reason to believe that the money constituted proceeds of crime.
Eskuku faces additional charges of conflict of interest and money laundering. Prosecutors allege that he knowingly acquired a direct private interest in contracts awarded to Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited, a company associated with him, despite his employment by the county government.
The alleged arrangement is at the centre of the conflict-of-interest case, which concerns whether Eskuku used his position as a public officer to benefit a business in which he had a private interest.
The prosecution further alleges that Eskuku withdrew Sh2,763,811.05 between July 1, 2020, and July 31, 2023, while knowing or having reason to believe that the transactions were intended to conceal the nature of the funds, contrary to money-laundering laws.
The EACC had earlier indicated that its investigations covered alleged irregular contracts awarded to Ekwang Suppliers Company Limited by the County Government of Turkana between 2017 and 2021. The commission said investigations established that Eskuku used the company, in which he was a director alongside Yusuf, to secure county contracts and receive payments.
The commission also alleged that the funds were withdrawn in cash soon after payments were made, raising suspicions that the transactions were intended to conceal their source.
Following the conclusion of investigations, the inquiry file was forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who approved charges against Eskuku, Yusuf and the company.
The suspects were being processed at the EACC's North Rift Regional Office in Eldoret ahead of their expected arraignment before the Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
Beyond the criminal proceedings, the EACC has indicated that it will pursue civil action to recover public funds and seek the forfeiture of assets established to have been acquired through proceeds of crime.
The case highlights the legal obligations of public officers to avoid conflicts between their official responsibilities and private business interests. The EACC has urged state organs and public entities to strengthen compliance with the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, including measures to ensure the declaration, management and prevention of conflicts of interest among public officers.
