Monday 2 March 2015

GREEDY HOMA BAY MCAs DEMAND SH. 7 M BRIBE

BY OUR REPORTER
Members of a Budget Committee for Homa Bay County Assembly have threatened to disband the assembly board unless they are given a bribe of Ksh. 7 million
 
The skyrocketed demand by the ten MCAs was solemnized on 27thand 28th January in a meeting held at Sunset Hotel in Kisumu in which they resolved to hook Ksh. 700,000 for each putting the board under siege.
The committee led by Public Account Committee chairman, Wanjala Kasera (Kanyikela ward), Public Investment Committee chairman Otuoma Wanga (Gem West) and Budget chairman Sam Okumu (East Kamagak) registered their disgust with the board accusing it of ‘’favouring’’ nominated ‘’illiterate’’ women MCAs.
 
“It is quite disheartening and equally dishonorable for the board to pay attention to women MCAs who are illiterate and belongs to the lowest political ladder and ignore our interests as true representatives of the people,” they said.
 
Wanjala, Wanga and Okumu are among those who benefited from the former board in which a Mr. Nyamokeri, who was seconded to assembly by Transitional Authority (TA) as interim clerk helped them loot millions of shillings which cannot be accounted for.
 
To demonstrate how power has got into the head of these MCAs, Wanjala, reportedly confronted Eliud Otieno (minister) to pay a contractor, a Kenya Somalia who had extorted from sh. 300,000 without regard to laid down procedures of Public Procurement Act and worst still, the company Wanjala wants to be paid, Nairobi Logistics Company is not prequalified. 
 
“Everybody came here to make money and nothing else. Look at the kind of investment Mr. Nicholas Koriko (Minister for Finance), Eliud Otieno (Transport and Infrastructure), Isaiah Ogwe (County Secretary), Julius Polo (Auditor), Dan Lieta (accountant), and Joseph Rading (County Principal Finance Officer) have done overnight? While here we are told to uphold prudence in financial management,” posed George Otieno alias Jazben (Kendu Bay Town ward).
 
“This cartel is better off and is ready to throw off governor Awiti like a hot iron and use their financial might to jump into another government should Awiti fail to recapture his seat come 2017,” added Wanjala. 
 
Sources at the Treasury who talked to us at pains corroborated the allegations that the six members of the executive, popularly referred to as The Dreaded Reptiles, mentioned above are stinking rich following free hand they have over Treasury and are wallowing in cash any time of the day, month or the year.
 
To the agreement of members, Jazben observed that 2015 is the only year they can make money or else they will lose out as political temperatures will start rising in 2016 ahead of general elections.
 
“We can’t suffer just because the assembly board is strict with finance. We’ve no option but to disband it” Okumu was heard saying adding that he better lose his seat with something to survive on rather than adhere to regulations yet guys in the executive have bought big cars, bought estates in Nairobi and put up posh hotels without blinking their eyes.
 
Currently the county government operates in a crisis and cannot even afford a bunch of gloves for hospitals, fuel for some departments due to consistent and deliberate failure to pay fuel suppliers, stationeries.
 
“You may ask yourself why Koriko, Ogwe and Polo have deliberately thwarted proposals of outsourcing revenue collection yet we get a paltry sh. 30 million quarterly against a possible sh. 100 million which can see us raise more than sh. 400million per year. It is because they share the loot,” added Wanga.
 
But Julius Gaya (Central Karachuonyo ward), Johnson Ochola, chief whip (Kochia ward), Geoffrey Anyango alias Gudi Gudi (Kabondo West) and Imelda Nyabwa (nominated) however, opposed the move saying the board has demonstrated proper financial management and accountability which was lacking previously. Kojwach ward representative Christopher Mbata was reported to have not taken sides.
 
Raw thirst to make quick money prompted the very budget committee to inspect the stalled Kadongo-Mawego-Kendu Bay road just for blackmail thereby subordinating Transport and Infrastructure Committee headed by Peter Kaula (Wang’chieng’ ward) to carry its mandate. Kaula Committee was irked by the move and threatened with dire consequences.

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