EACC Summons Didmus Barasa Over Extorting Ksh2M From Businesswoman

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has summoned Kimilili Member of Parliament, Didmus Barasa.

Reports indicate that Barasa is wanted for allegedly extorting Ksh2 million from a businesswoman promising to influence an award of multi-million government tenders for her. Barasa previously failed to honour the first summon issued against him.

By the time of publishing this article, the particulars of the extortion of the woman in exchange for the tender were not made immediately clear.

According to EACC spokesperson, Eric Ngumbi, the lawmaker is required to appear before the commission on Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

The anti-graft body had initially summoned the lawmaker to appear before the commission and record a statement on August 14, 2024. Barasa, however, did not show up.

In a letter dated August 21, 2024, the commission warned that failure by the MP to show up would result in the inquiry proceeding to its conclusion without reference to him.

"The Commission hereby accords you a second opportunity to come and respond to the allegations of bribery made against you," the EACC communicated in a statement.

"To this end, you are required to appear at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s offices at Integrity Centre, Nairobi on August 27, 2024, at 9:00 am."

Barasa's brush with the authorities is nothing new. In August 2022, he went on the run after allegedly killing an opponent's aide during an altercation at Chebukhwabi Primary School polling station in Kibingei ward.

The legislator was labelled as the perpetrator in the murder of the aide of his opponent, Brian Khaemba of the Democratic Action Party (DAP-K) whom he was competing against in the 2022 general elections for the Kimilili Parliamentary seat.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had given Barasa six hours to surrender to the nearest police station with the agency deploying an elite team to assist security officers on the ground in the manhunt.

While surrendering himself, Barasa noted that he survived an assassination attempt on August 7, 2022, on the same night his private bodyguard was attacked.

He would be released on August 24, 2022, on a Ksh10 million bond and a surety of Ksh5 million, but ordered to surrender his firearms and stay away from Bungoma County pending investigations into the shooting incident. He had previously pleaded not guilty to charges levelled against him.