The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak has revealed several high-profile cases that the State agency is pursuing in its fight against graft.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Citizen TV, the tough-talking EACC boss sent a stern warning to senior government officials in the country misappropriating public funds saying they will eventually be caught up with.

One of the high-profile cases Mbarak disclosed that his eyes are presently fixed on involves former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala over irregular procurement and payment of Ksh.8.5 billion for the construction of the proposed Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Vipingo.

He highlighted the gravity of the graft case reiterating that the commission is warming up its heels to re-arrest Balala and his alleged accomplices, coming on the back of their dramatic arrest in December last year.

“The amount of money the college was allocated was about Ksh.2 billion, but ended up being about Ksh.8 billion. Right now if you go to that sight, it is a very sad story. You have a very big college under construction but it is stuck,” he said.

“This case has got two phases, case one is about the consultancy and there is the construction part of it which we are yet to finish the file, and there will be a second case coming on the same matter and it will hit on the same people. This is one of the sad stories of this country where a big grand project has stalled because of corruption.”

Mbarak also revealed that cases have also been built up and files forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) regarding the alleged embezzlement of millions at the National Museums of Kenya as well as the Lake Turkana Wind Power project.

Regarding the National Museums, he underscored that the commission is seeking to arrest former head Mzalendo Kibunjia over the loss of funds through ghost workers.

“We have very good files that are with the DPP where, for instance, we have a case of the National Museums of Kenya where the former head Mzalendo Kibunja and his group are accused of misusing millions of shillings through fictitious ghost workers,” he said.

“We have a file on the Turkana Wind Power where billions were lost and another file on about Ksh.400 million lost elsewhere.”

Mbarak similarly revealed that EACC is currently monitoring the changing lifestyles of current Cabinet members, adding that some Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have experienced sudden and inexplicable lifestyle changes, which is a red flag for the anti-corruption watchdog.

“When you are a PS, a CS or when you are heading a very big organization, you are under our radar. You belong to those we call highly exposed political persons. Unapata mtu sasa anavaa saa ya Ksh.10 million and before that he/she hakuna kitu alikuwa anavaa, alikuwa na Casio. Those are now red flags that the person is doing something,” he said.

The EACC boss cited his life in the military saying it has left him with a thick skin for his anti-corruption job, adding that he cannot be cowed or intimidated by the perceived graft big fish.

“I was in the army for 15 years, do you think I am a person who can get scared? I have seen lions in the bush; I have seen death in the course of my training in the military. So who is a civilian to scare me?” He said after being asked if he was scared of senior government officials.

“When I know I’m right, I don’t get scared of civilians. When someone tells you they’re going to kill you, just know that the guy is a fool.”

Despite admitting that the fight against graft is not for the faint-hearted, he exuded confidence in the commission’s capacity to restore public dignity.

“Fighting corruption is like guerrilla warfare, you are not fighting a conventional warfare whereby the enemy is in uniform and you can tell that that is the enemy,” he said.

“So if today you are a minister and you believe you can operate on impunity, do it, but one day the EACC will catch up with you. Don’t think you are there at the top and you can operate on impunity, this country is governed by laws.”