Kisumu County Assembly Speaker, Executives Accused Of Stealing Millions From County Coffers

Kisumu Governor Peter Anyang Nyongo is being urged by residents and suppliers in Kisumu County to crack whip on plundering officers particularly in procurement Department.

According to sources within the county, the worst hit is Health Department where Caren Adwenya who is from Western Kenya but married to Paul Adoyo, Chief Officer in Migori County is embroiled in Corrupt deals.

Caren and her conduits apparently forces suppliers to part with 10 percent of a tender payment before landing a contract.

A few months ago, the lady was bought a car by a lady supplier who had been promised a contract, but ended up getting nothing. When the lady threatened to tell the Minister in charge and Governor Nyong’o, she again took her round and round by promising her another World Bank project which she said was looming before the end of the year.

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Mrs Caren is said to be witty and even the minister or the head of procurement a Mr Ondu are said to be under her lock and key. Sources further confided that the said lady has hired the services of a well fed stout black mandarin called Jack who isn’t a county officer but is put strategically in that office and a long the fourth floor corridors as a conveyor belt to handle her dirty money from the hapless suppliers.

Formerly she was at public works but when she was transferred early this year to her current location, to the convenience of suppliers and her colleagues.

Governor Nyong’o is further urged to investigate claims that some officers have formed companies to award themselves lucrative contracts at the expense of the residents.

In the 2017/2018 financial year, a tendered to supply iPads o the county assembly was awarded to the County Speaker’s wife Mrs Carren Oloo and Kolwa Central MCA Mr Olwal. To add salt to injury, the tender was overpriced.

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The county also lost over Kshs 9 million in the tender for supply of furniture to the MCAs offices valued at Kshs 13 million. However, a payment of Kshs 22 million was effected. The scandal involved the assembly board, who were converged by the speaker in his office in the presence of the supplier to deliberate how the loot was to be shared.

The speaker is also accused of stealing millions from the county coffers, through a tour firm, Ritco Tours and Travels, under the guise of provision of travel services.

The assembly, through the speaker, have overlooked the IFMIS system and are paying tenderpreneurs through cheques instead of using the IFMIS.

In a trip to Ethiopia, the assembly hired a one-man consulting firm who had to offer his services in Ethiopia. Interestingly, the ‘consultant’ who is not named is a Kenyan, raising the question why he/she had to offer his services abroad.

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In the unending alleged corruption by the speaker, he procured rental offices for the assembly staff at the Mega Plaza at a monthly rent of Ksh 800,000 and a goodwill fee of Ksh5 million. Up to date, the offices are unoccupied three months since the facility was rented. Our source informs that the procurement procedures were not followed in this scandal, and the speaker overlooked the vacant office space at the county headquarters.

Kahawa Tungu learns that the speaker also went for a fully donor funded official function in UK, but received allowances from the county assembly accounts. His accommodation and stay in UK was also paid from the county assembly, despite being funded by the donor. It is suspected that the money could have ended in his accounts.

The looting spree has not left out the CEC finance Mr Nerry Achar and CEC energy Madam Alice Moraa who have amassed millions for themselves through graft.

According to our source, cash collections at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching & Referral Hospital in the first week of August was not banked. The funds could have been pocketed, or shared within a clique of cartels.

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Kshs 30 million was paid from the county operations accounts to Ken Pundo and Company Advocates. Of this, the county secretary received Kshs 12 million. He used the money o clear a loan charged to his Capitol Hill hotel which had been put up for auction. The auctioneers received Kshs 10 million in cash.

In a project funded by the World Bank for procurement of eTrade licences, the county executive used a ghost company by the name Guru IT. “These people simply make documentations and siphon out payments claiming it is Guru IT that did the works,” says a source privy to the details.

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