Kenya Ports Authority MD Catherine Mturi on Friday was questioned for six hours by EACC detectives at Integrity Centre, Nairobi. She was summoned allegedly for “obstructing the course of justice and blocking an ongoing investigation”.
Mturi is said to have allegedly refused to provide documents on three senior employees under investigation that would have implicated them. Their identities are a closely guarded secret.
The three are being investigated for the loss of containers and procurement irregularities. Some of the documents the anti-corruption commission wanted included minutes of meetings during which tenders were awarded and personal files.
“The MD was invited to the commission as a witness to shed light on an ongoing investigation whose details will be made public at an opportune time,” EACC head of corporate communications Kairichi Marimba said.
It is said Mturi promised to provide the documents by today. Our source said should she fail to do so, she will be arrested immediately and charged for obstructing an active investigation.
Mturi said she was summoned over Malindi MP Willy Mtengo’s allegedly forged academic papers. Mtengo is a former KPA employee who resigned before a purge in which 136 staff were fired. Mturi said she appeared before the commission as a key witness.
The EACC is also investigating high-ranked employees with forged academic certificates. A source said EACC investigators suspect Mturi of protecting a cartel at the port.
“Some of the documents she was holding on to might actually implicate her,” the source said. But Mturi denied this, saying some of the investigations began before she was appointed MD.
