Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado

By Njoroge David

Former Migori Governor Okoth Obado has lost five luxury homes after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) auctioned properties recovered from him.

The public auction, held in Nairobi on  October 9, raised Sh69.7 million from the sale of assets seized through court orders in Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Suit No. 20 of 2018 and Suit No. 10 of 2021.

The cases stemmed from investigations into alleged embezzlement of county funds during Obado’s tenure as governor and claims of unexplained wealth against former Nairobi County Treasury Head Stephen Osiro, whose assets were also listed for disposal.

The auction comes amid stalled plea bargain negotiations between Obado, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the EACC over a Sh235 million asset recovery deal.

Obado, his children, and several associates were charged in 2020 with conspiracy to commit economic crimes and money laundering linked to the alleged misappropriation of Sh73.4 million from Migori County.

While the ODPP had signalled willingness to settle through alternative dispute resolution, the EACC has opposed any withdrawal of charges, insisting on a full trial.

 The matter is set for mention on October 24 to confirm progress on the plea discussions.

According to EACC, the auctioned properties included a Riara apartment, three units in Greenspan Estate, and a townhouse in Loresho Ridge Estate. All fetched prices were above their reserve values.

In a statement on October 10, EACC said proceeds from the auction will be deposited into the Consolidated Fund in line with Section 56C of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.

“The Commission remains committed to tracing and recovering proceeds of corruption and unexplained wealth to ensure perpetrators of economic crimes do not benefit from their ill-got wealth,” said Stephen Karuga, Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication.

Five other properties in Kisumu and Migori counties are set for auction on  October 16, as part of EACC’s continued recovery of assets linked to corruption cases.