Bungoma EACC Summons: 22 Officials Grilled Over Sh6.5M Graft Probe

Bungoma EACC summons have officially commenced as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission intensifies its crackdown on alleged financial impropriety within the Bungoma County Assembly. On this Wednesday, February 25, 2026, the anti-graft agency has formally directed 16 Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) and six senior staff members to appear for interrogation. The probe centers on the suspected misappropriation of Sh6,569,000, linked to two highly controversial expenditures: a “benchmarking” trip to Uganda and a bizarrely timed Christmas tree lighting ceremony.

The Breakdown of the Bungoma EACC Summons

The current summons follow a directive from the Senate Public Accounts Committee, which flagged irregularities in the county’s 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 financial audits. Investigators are specifically looking into “fictitious imprest” claims that suggest taxpayer money was withdrawn for activities that either did not take place as described or were grossly inflated.

The officials summoned are required to report to the EACC Western Regional Office in Bungoma town between February 26 and March 9, 2026.

Key Officials Named in the Summons

The list of individuals facing the Bungoma EACC summons includes high-ranking ward representatives and assembly leadership. According to formal letters signed by EACC Western Regional Manager Eric Ngumbi, those expected to record statements include:

• MCAs: Joan Lutukai, Everline Mutiembu, Joan Kirong, Francis Chemion, Stephen Wafula, James Mukhono, Florence Wekesa, and Joseph Nyongesa.

• Additional MCAs: Jack Wambulwa, Hillary Kiptalam, Erick Wapangana, Henry Majimbo Okumu, Violet Makhanu, Luke Opwora, Tonny Barasa, and Sospeter Nyongesa.

• Assembly Staff: Former Clerk John Kennedy Ongwae, Principal Clerk Assistant Francis Simiyu Tome, Principal Legal Counsel Ignatius Wekesa Wangila, and Hansard Officer Carolyn Akirapa Wamalwa.

The “September Christmas” Scandal

Central to the Bungoma summons is an expenditure that has become a symbol of county-level extravagance: the Sh3,689,000 spent on lighting a Christmas tree. While festive decorations are standard, the Auditor General’s report highlighted a glaring anomaly: the funds were expended in September 2019.

During recent Senate grilling, Governor Kenneth Lusaka was hard-pressed to explain why a Christmas celebration was funded and executed three months before the actual holiday. The EACC suspect that this “September Christmas” was a creative accounting maneuver to exhaust budget allocations through irregular per diems and procurement fraud.

The Sh6.6 Million Uganda “Benchmarking” Trip

The second leg of the EACC summons involves a Sh6,569,000 trip to Mbale, Uganda. The mission was reportedly for “benchmarking” purposes, a common term used by Kenyan county assemblies for study tours. However, the EACC has demanded:

1. Original Requisitions: To prove who requested the trip and for what purpose.

2. Imprest Warrants & Surrender Vouchers: To track exactly who received the money and if they actually traveled.

3. Bank Deposit Slips: To verify the flow of funds to individual accounts.

Detectives are investigating claims that the trip may have been “fake,” with officials allegedly pocketing allowances without crossing the border, or that the number of participants was artificially inflated.

Political and Economic Impact in Bungoma

The EACC summons come at a time of heightened political tension in Western Kenya. Governor Kenneth Lusaka, who recently appeared before the Senate, has distanced himself from the specific execution of these payments, asserting that his administration is committed to transparency but noting that many of these issues date back to previous fiscal cycles.

For the residents of Bungoma, the Sh10 million combined cost of the tree and the trip represents a significant loss of public utility. Local activists have pointed out that these funds could have equipped several Level 3 health centers or improved rural access roads that remain impassable during the current rainy season.

What Happens After the Interviews?

Following the conclusion of the Bungoma EACC summons on March 9, the commission will compile a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). If the evidence of “theft of public funds through fictitious imprest” meets the legal threshold, the named MCAs and staff members could face formal charges, including:

• Abuse of office.

• Conspiracy to defraud the public.

• Willful failure to comply with laws relating to the management of public funds.

The EACC has also warned that any official who fails to honor the Bungoma EACC summons will be treated as a fugitive and may face immediate arrest.

Timeline of the Investigation

The outcome of the Bungoma EACC summons is seen as a litmus test for the anti-graft agency’s ability to hold county assemblies accountable for “frivolous spending” that has plagued devolution across Kenya.