NYANDARUA, Kenya, May 24-Opinion leaders drawn from Nyandarua county have castigated the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for ‘doing little or nothing’ to probe alleged financial malpractices by the County Government.
The opinion leaders spoke under the banner of “Set Nyandarua Free.”
They say the EACC office in the Central Region has not dealt with 7 cases of corruption forwarded to the agency since 2018.
Cumulatively, they claim that the Nyandarua County could have lost a whooping Sh1.5 billion from the 7 cases.
The opinion leaders included Dr. Moses Kiarie Badilisha, former Nyandarua Deputy Governor Waithaka Kirika and Dr. Simon Kanyingi.
“There must be gatekeeper (s) or patrons who have generally prevented any progress of the cases,” Kirika told journalists on Monday, during a press conference in Nyandarua.
He added that, “We feel that the delay in investigating and concluding cases emanating from Nyandarua County by the EACC office in Nyeri is by design and not coincidence.”
Of the alleged scandals highlighted by the group is alleged payment of Sh14 million made for a non-existent investors conference in 2018 by Governor Francis Kimemia’s government.
“Another case that was reported to EACC was in 2018 but action has not been taken is of Sh46 million that was subsidized youth polytechnic tuition fees. The money was supposed to be handed to the institutions but instead the county administration opted to supply equipment to the institutions that were bought at inflated prices,” he said.
Kirika further claimed that millions of shillings are annually lost in the County, through a parallel payment model that bypasses the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS).
They are calling on the anti-graft body to move with speed and probe the alleged cases of graft, including alleged misappropriation of Sh400 million meant to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
EACC Central Regional head, Charles Rasugu said they were up to task, while refuting claims of gatekeeping.
“All the cases will be investigated,” he told Shahidi News.
According to Rasugu, EACC is currently investigating several cases from Nyandarua, including a branding tender case.
In the branding case, some Sh51 million was paid by the Nyandarua County Government.
On the investors’ conference case, he said the file is with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
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