photo by governors press.

For over three decades, Charity Ngilu has remained a powerful figure in Kitui’s politics, serving in senior Cabinet positions and later as Governor of Kitui. Yet alongside her long survival in public office runs a parallel record of corruption allegations, adverse audit reports, and controversial court cases involving hundreds of billions of shillings in public funds.

During the Kibaki era, her tenure at the Ministry of Health was rocked by controversy over mismanagement of donor-funded programmes, irregular procurement of medical supplies, and weak financial controls. Several donors froze or reviewed funding, directly affecting public hospitals. No personal conviction followed, but the ministry was left bruised by audit queries.

At the Irrigation and Water Ministry (2008–2013), her term was marked by allegations of inflated tenders, nepotism, and overpriced water meters that cost taxpayers millions.

In 2014–2017, she was charged over the illegal subdivision of 13.4 acres of public land in Karen, worth about KSh 8 billion. Although the case was later dismissed on technical grounds,she was later fired by president Uhuru kenyatta.The land was never recovered.

As Kitui Governor, fresh scandals emerged: irregular hiring at the county medical unit, the KSh 56 million “mobile” X-ray machines that were not mobile, over KSh 168 million flagged at KICOTEC, questioned Covid-19 funds, and the controversial KSh 85 million ballast crusher. In 2025, the county was also ordered to pay KSh 25 million compensation for a lorry destroyed by county officers.

Across ministries and county government, the pattern is consistent, inflated procurement, weak oversight, audit red flags, and delayed accountability.