Photo Courtesy of Makueni County Facebook Sharing Forum
Ten officials from Makueni County are among 175 public officers alleged to have engaged in corruption in a report prepared by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and tabled in parliament on Tuesday.
Makueni Speaker Stephen Ngelu, the County Assembly Clerk Edward Libendi, six Members of County Assembly (MCAs) and two senior county executive officials made it to the infamous list of shame and now will be required to step aside to pave way for investigations.
Kibwezi West MCAs Bernard Kiswii, Cosmas Mutunga, Bensley Mathuku, Timothy Maneno, Muli Mwenze and Bernard Musau who is also the deputy speaker are alleged to have traveled to Dubai on an all-expense trip courtesy of area Member of Parliament
Dr.Patrick Musimba but upon return conspired with Speaker Ngelu and the county assembly clerk to claim a full per diem.
The MCAs are said to have been paid at total of close sh2.4 million, with each pocketing sh390, 000. It is alleged that each MCA was to give a kick back of sh100, 000 to be shared by the clerk and the speaker.The EACC report says investigations have been concluded and the case is awaiting review.
Also in the list is the Acting County Secretary Rael Muthoka and County Supply Chain Manager Alex Mutuku who are together accused of violating procurement procedures during the implementation of Kikima dairy processing project.
The report says, the project was implemented without following proper procurement procedures and exceeded the budget set by the county government hence making it a ghost project. The case is still under investigation.
Reports of the public officers appearing in the list have elicited a flurry of emotions from Makueni residents in social media with a majority calling for their resignation.
The residents took to Facebook to demand the leaders to take responsibility.
However there are those who disagreed with the corrupt allegations and even tried exonerated the acting county secretary from any wrong doing.
Others took to Twitter to express the views with some wondering when the county will settle down and perform its mandate.
@citizentvkenya >> @makuenicounty see this???
— CountryMan (@ndundsamosky) March 31, 2015
@citizentvkenya >>@makuenicounty.. when will the county settle from bad news… watsup with thiz my county gvmnt… hw r the pple really experiencing..
— SOULJA DE ONES (@souljagae) March 31, 2015
With the list already out, it will be interesting to see whether the officers and especially the speaker, who has on several occasions accused the Governor Professor Kivutha Kibwana of presiding over a corrupt government will bulge to the pressure and step aside.Already the speaker has denied the report, terming the allegations as false.
Speaker Ngelu said he will not resign despite calls for him to step aside.
Meanwhile two MCAs mentioned in the EACC have stepped aside.Minority leader and MCA for Nguumo Muli Mwenze and his Nguu counterpart Timothy Maneno both from the governor’s Muungano Party stepped aside this evening to pave way for investigations.
The two MCAs stepped aside from all the committees and are said to have written to the speaker informing him of their decision.
Their decision did not go unnoticed in social media and some supported the move.
Others chided the MCAs.
