EACC, DPP CLASH OVER OBADO’S PLEA DEAL AFTER KSH235M RECOVERY

A fresh row has erupted between the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) over the fate of former Migori Governor Okoth Obado, despite the recovery of assets worth KSh235 million.
On Friday September 5, 2025, the ODPP told the Anti-Corruption Court that it had entered a plea bargain with Obado and 17 co-accused in a case involving the alleged misappropriation of KSh73.4 million. Under the deal, the former governor surrendered prime properties and vehicles valued at more than three times the contested amount, including residential blocks in Migori and Nairobi, a KSh40 million Loresho house, and commercial properties in Suna East.
But the EACC strongly objected, telling the court it neither signed nor approved the agreement. The commission said it was excluded from reviewing the draft deal despite being a key investigative agency in the matter.
In response, the ODPP insisted the EACC had been fully involved in negotiations from April to August this year, but lacked instructions to conclude the talks. Prosecutors argued that the law empowers the DPP to withdraw charges unilaterally, whether or not EACC gives consent.
Obado’s lawyer, Kioko Kilikumi, backed the ODPP, saying the anti-graft body’s participation was “courtesy, not a legal requirement.”
The court is expected to rule on whether the plea bargain will stand without EACC’s endorsement, a decision that could set precedent for future corruption cases handled jointly by the two agencies.