Nairobi — The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has opened a probe into the ownership of properties valued at Sh100 million by an accountant working at the Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA).

The EACC said Saturday that it was investigating 13 properties owned by Esther Wanjiru Chege suspected to be proceeds of graft.

The anti-graft agency stated that the High Court froze Chege's bank account which had transacted a sum of Sh26.4 million for a period of six years dating back to January 2016.

"Wanjiru is linked to several private companies registered through proxies and relatives which have reportedly been trading with her employer, KeRRA," EACC said.

The investigations by the anti-corruption watchdog will be focused on an alleged conflict of interest, embezzlement of public funds, and unexplained wealth.

The EACC, chaired by Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, noted that it had recorded an increasing trend where public officers are directly or indirectly doing business with the institutions they serve.

According to EACC, conflict of interest is part of procurement-related corruption which accounts for almost 80 per cent of graft cases in the country.

"No Accounting Officer should preside over embezzlement of public funds in their dockets," EACC added.

The Wabukala-led agency pointed out that boards of state agencies are duty-bound to enforce accountability in the utilization of public funds to ensure Kenyans get value for money in all public expenditures.