State Goes after NHIF Receptionist who Acquired Sh160 Million Property within Four Years

A receptionist who owns property worth millions of shillings is among 20 National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) officials whose warrants of arrest have been issued over grand corruption at the agency.

The Star reports that 39-year-old Fredrick Sagwe Onyancha, a receptionist at NHIF, owns eight houses worth Sh160 million. Sagwe is said to have acquired the property at an upmarket estate in Athi River between 2013 and 2017.

Investigators established that the Onyancha's lifestyle drastically changed immediately after joining NHIF tender evaluation committee that is mandated with issuing tenders at the State insurance company.

Sagwe first acquired four houses worth Sh20 million each in 2013 as well as high-end cars including Range Rovers and Toyota V8s.

He further spent a whooping Sh40 million to spruce his house located in Green Park estate along Mombasa Road. The mansion was recently featured in Ideal Space, a property program aired on KTN TV, where his wife explained the expensive fittings in their home.

Ragwe also runs a chain of carpet-cleaning businesses across Nairobi whose value is estimated at Sh50 million. The businesses are managed by his wife.

Further, the receptionist's three sons school at expensive international institutions in Nairobi.

The Star reports that Ragwe grew up at a relative's home in Nairobi's Umoja estate before joining Nakuru High School. He later joined United States International University (USIU) where he graduated in 2007 before being hired as a front desk officer at NHIF on a salary of Sh50,000 per month.

He currently pockets Sh150,000 a month, but he leads a lavish lifestyle that isn't commensurate with what he earns.

“He is a very polite person who sometimes tries to look like a modest man by driving a small car," detectives who have been trailing him for months say.

The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) has moved to court to seek orders to seize the houses and other properties.