Wycliffe Nyamasege
Nyamira County is on the spot for all wrong reasons, with locals accusing officials of diverting money from public coffers to personal businesses.
The locals are now calling for the audit of the county officials starting with Governor John Obiero Nyagarama and his deputy Amos Nyaribo, under whose watch many projects have stalled.
Members of the county executive committee, chief officers, directors and enforcement officers are on the watch-list for amassing wealth through corrupt deals.
The residents, with support from a section of leaders, question assets worth millions owned by individuals earning as little as Sh70, 000.
Immediate senator Okong’o O’mogeni has invited officers from the Ethics and Anti-corruption (EACC) to probe the individuals.
Reports indicate some of the officers have diverted county funds into real estate business in major towns across the country.
Some of the officials are said to have pumped millions into the thriving matatu and hardware businesses in the country.
Sources familiar with the scheme, divulged to a local media outlet, that the greedy officials have opted for Nakuru, Eldoret, Nairobi, Kisumu, Kakamega, Mombasa and Kisii, Migori and Kericho towns to avoid raising eyebrows.
The county was recently ranked among top 10 counties worst hit by corruption.
In the report by EACC, recently tabled before the senate, Nyamira was ranked fourth with its officials accused of demanding an average of Sh10,597 kickbacks for crucial government services to locals.
Following the revelations, reports indicate the graft menace in the county grows by day.
The syndicate involves top county officials,accountants and procurement officers, who demand high bribes from suppliers. Those who don’t meet the demands are blacklisted by having their payments delayed by citing a hitch in the department.
Read: Nyamira County Sets Aside Ksh379 Million To Build A Restaurant, Barber Shop, Salon And Gym
The officers are accused of delaying Sh1.09 million for bread supplied three years ago.
Some of the officers run private companies, said to benefit from the rot in the county.
“Our treasury department is a den of robbers, thieves, looters and those working there must be audited so as to ascertain the source of the wealth they are swimming in, ” a source disclosed a local media outlet.
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