Acting KVDA chief executive officer Francis Kipkech was among top officers arrested on Monday after DPP Noordin Haji named suspects wanted in the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal.
DCI officers took charge of entrance and exit at the Kerio Valley Development Authority headquarters in Eldoret and screened all staff to block those wanted from escaping.
However, one of the wanted members of the tender committee was seen running away with a file in his hands as DCI officers gave chase.
Those who were immediately arrested included Kipkech along with tender committee members David Onyango and Charity Muui.
They were booked at the Eldoret police station waiting to be moved to Nairobi where they will be charged along with others.
Some staff panicked during the arrests and took off from their offices.
“We will look for all of them and take them to Nairobi as directed by the DPP,” one of the arresting officers said.
Police were also looking for immediate former CEO David Kimosop who was in the list of those to be arrested.
Chairman Jackson Kiptanui declined to comment on the matter but he was expected to call a special board meeting for the authority to discuss management following the arrest of senior officers.
Kipkech had replaced Kimosop in acting capacity and his arrest left fears the confusion would lead to possible loss of documents and other materials.
However, sources said DCI officers from Nairobi had seized many documents during an earlier raid at the authority.
In Eldoret town, a section of residents reacted with mixed reactions following the arrests.
“We did not expect CS Rotich to be among those arrested but we hope the case will be processed fast for the truth to come out," Jubilee activist Joseph Chumba said. He said they hoped the arrests were not political.
Deputy President William Ruto and his allies had opposed the dams probe claiming it was political and targeting to block the DP from 2022 elections.
MPs led by Kapseret’s Oscar Sudi threatened to spill the beans on other scandals in government allegedly implicating President Uhuru Kenyatta should Rotich and others be arrested.
On Monday, Sudi said they would meet later to plot their reaction to the arrests.
“We will speak on this issue tomorrow (Tuesday) comprehensively,” Sudi said. He said they would monitor how the matter was handled before issuing their reaction.
In Elgeyo Marakwet where the two dams were to be located, Governor Alex Tolgos did not comment on the arrests though he has been strongly supporting the probe by the DCI while accusing KVDA of mismanaging the projects.
Tolgos has asked more than 1,000 families living on the land that was meant for the projects not to vacate their farms until they are fully compensated.
Edited by R.Wamochie