Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.
LACK of transparency and accountability as well laxity on the part of the Provincial Administration in conducting thorough supervision in collaboration with the relevant ministries in all the development projects being undertaken under the Economic Stimulus Programs is the major source of discontent and conflicts of interests between the local communities and officials.
Politicians are also blamed for using the stimulus funds recently released by the Treasury for targeted projects for arms twisting to win back the support of the communities which did not vote for them in the 2007 general election.
The politicians, according to sources on the ground were also working together with a cabal of businessmen in having their own cut from the project money. A number of pseudo building construction firms are said to have been hastily registered by a cartel of unpatriotic businessmen for the express purpose of taping the resources availed by the government under the stimulus programs.
Owing to these loopholes millions of shilling allocated by the Treasury for stimulus programs could be drained into the dustbins by the cunning cabal of businessmen and the brief-case contractors working on lucrative commissions allegedly paid out by pseudo businessmen who had hired them to act on their behalf using their easily obtained contract registration licenses.
Discontent and conflict of interest is everywhere, particularly inside Luo-Nyanza. The loophole in supervision of the construction work has reportedly opened the door for massive looting of the government revolving funds, meant to develop and improve the lives of the rural communities.
Some of the projects earmarked include the up-grading of certain schools put up by the community on the spirit of self-help, dispensaries and health centers and other economic projects, which are so essential to the lives of the rural population.
There is big-tug-of-war between the ministry officials on the ground, the MPs and the local committee charged with the responsibility of supervising the development of the projects under the stimulus programs.
A case in point is the on-going hullabaloo in the controversial Kshs 20 million shillings St Rita Secondary School in Sidho West, Nyando district in the Kisumu County. The school is the brainchild of the local committee. When the government allocated it the fund, a 14 men local committee was picked up by the community to supervise the construction work and manage the fund. The committee was supposed to work in close collaboration with the office of the local district education office, which is based at Chemelil Roundabout at Awasi, the local MP and all the stakeholders.
But this is not the case. The Muhoroni MP Prof.Ayiecho Oluweny having realized that his local cronies in local political derby were not included, is alleged to have conspired with the lady education office wh0se name was given as Mrs Sika, who eventually sidelined the local committee in the project supervision.
The problem had started during the issuance of the tender documents. A local construction firm which headed by a credible engineer with vast knowledge in construction work was the first to purchase the paid up tender document for Kshs 3000 not refundable. But it was the last to be issued with tender document, and only after intensive intervention and lobbying by third parties. The document reached Kango Construction only four hours before the tender was due to be opened.
Kang’o Construction is credible construction firm which has carried out many construction work in various projects worth millions both inside Kenya and even in Botswana. It is owned by Eng.Mark Nyambogo Malo, who also happened to e a member of the Sidho West Community in Ombei where the St Rita Secondary Schools is currently under construction, and was more qualified having been a member of the same community. It submitted the second lowest tender.
Another construction firm, which was hastily registered under the name of Odampo International with no past experience of building construction work, appeared to have been in the in minds of other stakeholders outside Sidho community. The firm is said to belong to a young man working as a driver of one Dr Hezron M.C. Obewa, a social worker who is also runs a health facility called Ogra Foundation, said to be enjoying the financial backing of the British government, who is also it is being alleged to be a close associate of the Muhoroni MP.Olweny.
It appeared that the driver was merely used as a conduit by the interested parties to secure the contract through the tender, though it is duly registered with the Ministry of Works, but the real power behind the business are different people. And the local community has since called upon the KACC to conduct a thorough investigation which should include the inspection of the material used on the project if they are tallying with specification contained therein the tender document.
According to a report appearing the last week edition of the WEEKLY CITIZEN, when reminded of the anomaly, the MPO for the area who is at the centre if the controversy Prof Olweny, is alleged to have said that nothing will happen to him because the Prime Minister Raila Odinga would come to his help.
Other reports says close to Kshsn 9 million has already been spent on the project, but the work is suspected to be shady and sub-standard, with the roofing of the class rooms and other building done using 30 gauge iron sheets as opposed to gauge 28 which were specified in the tender.
The local committee after being sidelined from their own project now cries foul,. Alleging that the lady education officer has even seized the cheque books, and she is now the one issuing cheques for the payments of the construction work, which is said to be under the supervision of the Ministry of Works.
The fear persists that the shady work done on the project’s buildings could turn out to be dangerous to users of the buildings. The work is incomplete, and the head teachers last week admitted the first 28 Form One students, which were only temporarily sent to other nearby schools pending the completion of the buildings.
Those involved in the scam are said to be panicking after the WEEKLY CITIZEN exposed and the Muhoroni MP is said to have threatened the weekly newspaper with a ligation case to be filed before a court of law for the defamation of character. But the chairman of the community based board of governors Mr Shadrack Ngere is reported to have flatly refused to sign certain documents.
Tjis particular incident of gross interference into the government funded project is just an example of many other similar scandals involved the government funds including CDF which is the most vandalized. The locals says it is of no use for the government offering to assist them in developed their own community initiated project, for only a cabal of interested profiteers to take over the control of the fund and sideline them. They suspect that part of the Kshs 20 million could be siphoned through use of poor materials and kickbacks unless they were also involved in the supervision of the work.
They want the DC. Nyando to prevail upon the lady education officer to hand over the books of account of their project to the selected committee. The Officer is said to have even seized the key for the o school mailbox fueling the rumor and suspicion that the intention is to keep the board members in the darkness so that could not see the bank reports detailing the withdrawals the transactions, and this is perhaps done with the express knowledge of the area MP.
Mr Odampo the contractor, Eng.Mark Nyambogo Malo and the MP Prof Olweny could not be reached for comments as was Dr Obewa. But the Sidho community is up in arms calling for KACC and other relevant government investigative teams to move into the school construction site for the purpose of verifying the material being used, the standard of work and experience of the construction engineers on the site.
Reports making the round in Kisumu and its environs says the young journalist working for the WEEKLY. A Mr.Wasonga had alleged that he had been threatened by unknown people for his role in the newspaper report, illustrating the degree of panicking among those masterminds of the alleged scam.
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