Reports Ndira Uradi In Kisumu City.
Scrambling and lobbying have intensified in Kisumu City and its environs ahead of the much expected appointment of the new Board of Directors of the Kisumu based Lake Victoria South Water Service Board {LVEWSB}.he previous board, which was headed by George Ndonji from Ugenya was sent packing last month.
The board’s former controversial CEO Eng Michael Ocheng’s who also hails from Ugenya constituency was recalled back to the Water Services Ministry. Alot of behind the scene lobbying involving politicians, influential and powerful men and women canvassing for their relatives and surrogates is reported to have intensified.
One particular political family, which is notorious for practicing nepotism is said to have been heard proposing and suggesting the names of people who hails from within their home turf for such appointments.
The previous board had been scathingly criticized for having succumbed to the whims of one particular influential family that had turned the institution their “milking cow” winning nearly almost every tender o supplies. The board was accused of allegedly practicing favoritism in its procurements.
All the important tenders for the board’s project were irregularly and corruptly awarded to the sons of one influential politician-cum-businessman who is said to have a vast business interests in Kisumu City. The sons are said to have done shoddy job, but continued winning tenders for all the procurement because their father had acted as the godfather of the top management of the board.
However, this time around, the Kisumu residents are up in arms to ensure that the right person scooped the directorship jobs at the board so that it could serve the resident in an efficient manner, which is devoid of corruption and favoritism. They have appealed to the Minister for Water Resources Hon Madame Charity Kaluki Ngilu to appoint only upright persons to the water board.
The appealed to Ngilu to exercise his Ministerial powers conferred to her by the constitution and to ignore names of relatives of powerful politician in the region who are known to be notorious in forwarding the names if their kith and kin for such government appointments. The residents want the Minister to act at her own discretion and go only for the best men and women.
The activities of some prominent politicians in Luo-Nyanza linked to the exploitation of resources of the disbanded water board are likely to surface during the impending general elections.
Resident are so disappointed that only one family had monopolized the business with this institution thereby minting millions of shillings through irregular tender awarding of procurement worth millions of shillings, and yet Kisumu City continue to experience acute and perennial water shortage.
The situation could only be adequately addressed if the Minister is given free hand to pick the right person for the next board,” remarked one civic leader who wished to maintain his anonymity.
The board’s previous management had leaned on the very notorious family presumably for the protection of the job security making the board which is a public institution to look like a family property.
Residents have expressed the hope that the Ministry this time around will shift fro the practices of appointing the directors and top managers of the board whose serves only one family at the expense of the residents. While welcoming the appointment of the new CEO the resident advised Eng Agumba to shift from the habit of favoring one particular family when it come to doing business with the water board.
Ends