[ad_1]
The ugly spat between Homa Bay county assembly members and the executive wing of the government over millions of shillings looted during the recently held Devolution Conference in Kirinyaga took a new twist after it emerged that only a few MCAs attended the event despite pocketing Sh6.3 million.
The scam has emerged as Governor Cyprian Awiti has gone totally blind blaming his opponent Joseph Magwaga of bewitching him. Awiti has left his deputy Himmington Orata to be in charge as he seeks treatment in India. Magwaga lost a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the governor election.
Cyprian Awiti
Despite the heavy allocation calculated at Nairobi per diem rate, Weekly Citizen has learnt that hardly a quarter of the MCAs attended the event while the rest pocketed the cash and disappeared into thin though with one spotted in Kisumu partying at a popular club.
There are calls to the anti-graft bodies to investigate the MCAs who are reportedly in a wider scheme to cover up after squandering the conference cash.
In what has turned into a fierce accusations and counter accusations on who should face the investigators, county assembly members drew the first blood by a recommendation that at least five county officers attached to the office of the governor be sacked over misappropriation of Sh11.7 million.
The MCAs recommended the sacking of Eliud Otieno who is county chief of staff, David Ajumba, governor’s personal assistant, John Apollo, chief of protocol, Ruth Nyangori, economic adviser as well as Maurice Aluoch, director of communication.
The officers according to a report tabled before the house by Ruma Kaksingri MCA Ellyphalet Osuri, allegedly misused the funds set aside to be used during the recently held devolution conference in Kirinyaga.
Osuri said the officers violated the public finance management Act, hence are unfit to hold public office.
The speaker of the assembly is expected to write to the governor to dismiss the officers and forward a copy of the letter to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Director of Public Prosecution as well as the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for further action.
However the MCAs found themselves in trouble when they remarked that a section of ODM youth sponsored to Kiranyanga were irrelevant to the event.
Regional ODM youths led by one Elly Oyier and Shem Mamluki expressed their anger over the remarks and even went on a local radio station in Homabay to protest accusations against them by the assembly.
A source at the executive wing told Weekly Citizen that their counterparts at the assembly are taking advantage of their oversight role to harass and intimidate them.
The source who did not wish to be named further gave a breakdown detailing how the Sh11.7 million in question was spent.
He revealed the Sh2 million was channeled to the accounts of the council of governors, the host of the event that was attended by Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto and Raila Odinga among other dignitaries.
According to the highly placed source, registration of delegates consumed Sh1.6million, Sh6.3 million was used as per diem for delegates while Sh470,000 was used on documentary and public relation.
Booths were decorated at Sh471,000 while merchandise was to consume Sh639,000 but Sh312,000 was refunded and Sh150,000 was used for fueling the vehicles.
Earlier, your favourite Weekly Citizen had exposed how a group calling itself the G seven led by Otieno allegedly robbed the county government of Sh21 million during the sixth devolution conference held in Kirinyanga.
[ad_2]
Source link