Former Isiolo South MP and Wife Arrested Amid NHIF Scandal; MP Fires at EACC Detectives
By THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL REPORTER
In a dramatic turn of events, former Isiolo South MP Hon. Abdi Tepo and his wife, Halima Gura Roka, a Quality Assurance Officer at the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), were arrested on Thursday afternoon. The arrest followed an incident where the former MP allegedly opened fire at Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives conducting a search operation at his residence.
The search operation targeted Roka, who is a prime suspect in a multi-million NHIF graft scandal. During the operation, detectives recovered two briefcases filled with US dollars, estimated to be worth millions, and assorted chemicals suspected to be used for making fake currency. Tests conducted at the EACC Integrated Financial Forensic Lab confirmed the notes were counterfeit.
Following the operation, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at the EACC Police Station handed over the former MP, his wife, and various recovered items to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). The items included the fake notes, a Ceska pistol with an expired firearm permit, and assorted chemicals.
The operation was part of a broader investigation targeting seven prime suspects in the NHIF scam. This group includes the MP’s wife, a former NHIF Quality Assurance Officer, the Eastleigh NHIF Branch Manager, and five directors of Beirut Pharmacy. Beirut Pharmacy is accused of fraudulently obtaining KES 199 million from NHIF through fictitious claims facilitated by NHIF officials.
The Beirut Pharmacy case is one of several NHIF investigations aimed at prosecuting those responsible and recovering lost public funds.