There have been longstanding issues with corruption and misappropriation of funds allocated for development in northeastern Kenya.
Politicians, including governors, MPs, and other elected representatives, have been implicated in embezzling public funds meant for projects and services in the region.
These funds are often siphoned off and redirected for personal gain, including investments in real estate and other lucrative ventures primarily centred in Nairobi and other urban areas.
Senator Ali Roba who once governed Mandera County and now sits as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance and Budget has come under scrutiny for his alleged involvement in this systemic corruption.
His subsequent role as a purported watchdog and guardian of integrity is pure hypocrisy because as the former governor of Mandera, he amassed massive wealth through a decade-long tenure marked by accusations of embezzlement and financial mismanagement.
He openly colluded with regional governors and officials in these looting schemes
According to a trusted source intimately familiar with the situation, Roba used his position to orchestrate a network of corruption that he now uses to extract hefty fees from governors and other officials to ensure a continuous stream of illicit funds into his accounts.
He is accused of charging governors fees which he determines, taking a cut and then quickly forwarding these cases to oversight bodies to keep them from leaking.
In Mandera, Senator Roba is said to wield considerable control, having reportedly imposed the governor and all the MCAs in 2022, with his actions leaving no room for dissent.
Through the UDM party, he allegedly installed governors in Mandera and Marsabit and senators in Wajir.
Senator Roba is claimed to have received substantial payments in billions under the guise of pending bills since August 2022, with an annual Ksh. 100 million mandated from the county coffers, which are allegedly backed by falsified documents to ensure payments.
The UDM office in Kileleshwa, Nairobi, is allegedly the centre of corruption where senators, auditors and other oversight bodies are summoned.
He is reportedly always actively seeking to negotiate deals and influence Senate plenary discussions and decisions.
Senator Roba also allegedly threatens Mandera’s governor with impeachment if fake pending bills are not paid.
Our source claims that in March 2023 a disputed bill running into tens of millions was rejected and led to intervention by Mandera Council of Elders to resolve the issue and maintain status quo.
“Since August 2022, no tangible development projects have been initiated in Mandera due to coercion to prioritize payment of fictitious pending bills over developmental needs,” the source says.
Senator Roba is accused of continuing to leverage his position to benefit financially through questionable financial transactions and practices within Mandera County.
Roba has reportedly invested in properties in Mandera, Nairobi, Turkey, Europe and America.
From a modest background, his career benefited from crowdfunding for his diploma and further support for pilot training in the USA but accusations claim his wealth has grown exponentially, contrasting starkly with the challenges faced by residents of Mandera.
KenyanHour 