DNK International By Xavier Lugaga,Busia.
Police in Busia County have launched a manhunt for several county revenue officials accused of collecting public funds using fake receipts, in what is shaping up to be a major financial scandal within the devolved unit.
The officials, whose identities have not yet been made public, reportedly went underground after learning that detectives were closing in on them.
According to sources within the county administration and security agencies, the suspects are believed to have fled their workstations and switched off their phones to evade arrest.
Investigations indicate that the officials allegedly collected up to Sh 250,000 on market days from traders across various trading centres in Busia County.
The money is said to have been receipted using counterfeit receipt books allegedly printed privately by the suspects instead of official county issued revenue receipts.
Detectives suspect the scheme may have been ongoing for months, siphoning off substantial amounts of revenue meant for public services and development projects.
The scandal comes at a time when Busia Governor, Paul Otuoma, recently sent several revenue officers on compulsory leave in an effort to streamline revenue collection and restore order in the department.
The governor’s move was widely seen as a crackdown on inefficiencies and possible corruption within the county’s revenue system.
In a previous statement, Governor Otuoma had emphasized the need for transparency, accountability, and modernization of revenue collection mechanisms to seal loopholes.
However, the latest revelations involving fake receipts suggest that reforms may not yet have fully taken root.
Traders who spoke to Scoop Agency on condition of anonymity expressed frustration, saying they faithfully pay their dues only to discover that some payments may not have reached county coffers.
“We pay what we are told on market days. If the receipts were fake, then we have been cheated,” said one trader at a busy Busia market.
Police sources confirmed that statements have already been recorded from several traders and junior county staff as part of the ongoing probe.
Authorities are also conducting forensic analysis of the suspect receipt books to establish how long the alleged fraud has been in operation and the total amount lost.
Busia County Government has yet to issue an official detailed statement on the matter, but insiders say disciplinary and legal action will follow once investigations are concluded.
The unfolding scandal is likely to intensify scrutiny on county revenue systems and raise fresh questions about internal controls in devolved units across the country.
[DNK-International@February 28,2026]
