RAMPANT CORRUPTION, BIASEDD ISHING OUT OF TENDERS, NEPOTISM IN RECRUITMENT OF COUNTY WORKERS ARE THE CAUSE OF ANIMOSiTY
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City
RAMPANT corruption biased dishing out of tenders to selected contractors related to some MCAS,por system of recruitment of workers massive ripping off of public funds are among the major cause of animosity with the County governments.
Other factors contributing to hostilities and protracted internal political wrangling, embezzlement and misappropriation of devolving government money meant for the development of socio-economic projects.
There is also the reported intensified scrambling for the extravagant use of the billions of shillings loosely disbursed to the County governments by the Central government without putting in place the proper supervision and proper financial management by experts posted by the government.
The last one year has witnessed the extravagant usage of the government’s money on not intended projects, which are also not properly documented. The Ministry in-charge of the devolution in conjunction with the treasury should workout a tentative plan of seconding government’s financial experts to the County governments for the purpose of safeguarding the taxpayers money and ensuring that the same is put into proper use in line with the guidelines of County government’s expenditure.
MCAs are currently competing to access the County government’s funds, which they are known to put into reckless use. They have resorted to get rich quickly activities. Some have opted to purchase Lorries, tractors and motor vehicles for personal use with no relevance to the benefit of the taxpayers.
Other areas of massive corruption is through the procurement and suppliers. Prices of items such as vehicles, graders, tractors and trucks are highly inflated to create space for “Kick-Backs”.
Some of the above reasons could have contributed largely to the last week’s shooting to death of the 27 year old Kibiri Ward MCA in Rachuonyo North district, within Homa-Bay County.
The killers of Boaz Odhiambo Ondiek seemed to have been not ordinary criminal thugs, but a hired execution squad.And the police have an up-hill task to tack down the MCa’s killers and bring them to book
Taking into account that the assailants did not steal anything from the house is pointing out an accusing fingers that it was an inside work of the cowards plotters within the County government. Homa-Bay County government has been bedeviled with serious of internal wrangling ever since it was established last year. Despite the political magnanimity and dynamism displayed the County governor Cyprian Otieno Awiti, there has been some of the most unwarranted desputes over the recruitment of workers involving the workers employment board members and the governor. Some of the disputes only got resolved through the courts. But in spite of all the myriads of problems governor Awiti stands out to be the best inside Luo-Nyanza whose administration has envisaged and lined up several important projects such as ultra modern roads, infrastructure meant to benefit the rural farmers, fishermen and the rest. His administration has earmarked multi-million projects for road network, covering all the eight parliamentary constituencies.
There is also the need for the County governors in this region and elsewhere to discard the use and deployment in their offices of the idlers masquerading as power brokers. These power brokers are the same people fueling rumors and hatred among the County officials. They have become the most powerful wheeler=dealers permanently idling around governors offices in search of handout cash money from anyone who has a business to do with the County, and even visiting some suppliers and contractors as well as spreading malicious and dangerous rumors. Power-brokers are commonly found at the Kisumu, Homa-Bay, Migori and even in Nairobi offices of governors, though they have no official business to be there. The majority of the so-called power-brokers political failures or those who have tried their hands at either parliamentary and senatorial or MCA, but failed to garner enough support to propel them to the position of MPS. These people have stick to the governors like ticks and could be seen accompanying them to all the official functions officiated by the governors.
The power-brokers are also blamed for fleecing professionals and other workers seeking employment with the Counties. Some of them accept bribes money under the pretext of talking good to the governor, MCA and members of the executive committee for the purpose of securing employment. But because members of the public had seen them in the company of the governors and MCAs, members of the public targeted for conning usually believe, and cough out thousands of shilling while seeking their patronage And support.
The Siaya governor Rasanga Amoth is the only person who is credited for operating his office free of the idle power-brokers.
Ends