Nominated Member of Parliament Joseph Hamisi Dena from the Amani National Congress (ANC) is facing serious allegations related to a corruption scandal. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is currently investigating Dena for purportedly using several companies linked to him to launder money in collaboration with officials from a prominent government agency located at the Coast. Reports indicate that Dena collaborated with Antony Muhanji, a former senior officer of the agency, to manipulate contracts and misappropriate public funds into private accounts.
The EACC is scrutinizing a network of companies, including Harbour Contractors (K) Limited, Kitengela Aqua Fish Farm Limited, Citiport Engineering (K) Limited, and Idealyic Company Limited, which are suspected of facilitating the laundering of illicit proceeds. Additionally, other firms associated with Dena, such as Stone Contractor and Escalate Group C, are also under investigation.
A letter from the commission dated July 4, 2024, summoned Dena along with directors Mercy Mterere and Joseph Kingwangu Safarry for questioning regarding abuse of office and conflicts of interest. Financial records have revealed suspicious deposits over several years, including Kshs. 66.8 million in one Equity Bank account between February and October 2021, and Kshs. 42.7 million in a Cooperative Bank account from 2018 to 2019.
Investigators suspect that these companies derive most of their income from a single government client, raising concerns about the legitimacy of their business operations. Notably, one company reportedly generated 99 percent of its revenue from this agency. The investigation also highlights potential tax evasion, as one company declared an income of only Kshs. 45 million in 2021, despite bank records indicating over Kshs. 104 million in credits, suggesting an understatement of nearly Kshs. 59 million in income.
The discrepancies have resulted in an estimated tax obligation of Kshs. 17.6 million in income tax and Kshs. 9.4 million in VAT, prompting the Kenya Revenue Authority to be informed and expected to commence recovery actions. The investigation has also implicated relatives of the MP, specifically Gliny Joseph Dena and George Shuma Dena, who are believed to have acted as proxies in the movement of funds. Allegations suggest that the MP leveraged his influence to gain unauthorized access to bank accounts where he was not a signatory, thereby controlling transactions covertly.
Some funds are suspected to have been transferred to untraceable accounts to evade police scrutiny and asset tracking. In a related matter from 2022, the EACC sought to reclaim over Kshs. 78 million from Antony Muhanji, who allegedly awarded contracts to a company he secretly owned while serving as project manager, failing to disclose his interest and effectively securing the contract through insider knowledge.
Dena’s name also surfaced in this case, further linking him to the scandal. Despite multiple attempts to reach him, the MP has not responded to inquiries from the media, which has only fueled public suspicion, particularly as investigators possess documents revealing the depth of his involvement.
