By Joseph Mwangi

Residents of Sinai Estate are now demanding that an independent and an all-inclusive victims funds management committee to manage the Sinai Fire Victims funds. Speaking to Weekly Citizen, the Sinai fire victims and other residents claim that past records of such disaster funds shows that there has been no transparently and accountability from those entrusted to manage the funds.

Recently, the Government released Sh5,000 to those whose houses were burnt to look for an alternative place while families of those who lost their loves were paid Sh6,000 to cater for funeral expenses.

Makadara MP Mike Sonko who gave a cash donation of Sh1.2m to the Sinai Fire Victims through the red cross and paid hospital bill worth Sh126,000 to Metropolitan hospital where some victims were treated said he will ensure accountability and transparency from those managing the funds.

On relocation of Sinai residents, Sonko has vowed to block such attempts terming them as having hidden political agenda by top ODM leadership. Through his Lawyers Paul Muite, he has vowed to go to court to stop such evictions unless the Government repossess the land which the City hall and local government minister allegedly sold to private developers to resettle his constituents.

The major concern is that the compensation of victims and families of those who lost their relatives are yet to be compensated and the fear is that the Ministry of Special Programmes cannot be trusted to be fair as past records shows such funds have been looted and mismanaged by the management committee.

Sonko has also vowed to ensure that the Special programmes ministry officials who are currently handling the Sinai Fire victim’s funds handle the matter diligently and with a lot of accountability so as to ensure the funds are not looted as had been witnessed in previous funds. He has warned those entrusted with the Sinai funds of dare consequences if they dared mismanagement the funds.

Sonko ha also wondered why the Government has not organized a funds drive for the Sinai fire victims as it did for the Faza, Molo and Nakumatt fire victims. Sources close to him say he is planning to hold a major funds drive for the fire victims to shame the government and to help his constituents who have been ignored by the Government.

The Government even appointed and gazetted members of the management committee for Faza, Molo and Nakumatt fire funds but it is unfortunate that the Sinai Fire victims have been ignored. Sonko however claims that politics is being played in the Sinai fire since Makadara voters rejected the ODM candidate Reuben Ndolo during the by-election. He is squarely blaming Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Local Government Minister Musalia Mudavadi together with Nairobi Town clerk Philip Kisia for frustrating his efforts to help his constituents.

They are now demanding that the Ministry spearheads the formation of an independent funds management committee comprising of the representative of Sinai residents, area MP or his representative, area councillor or his representative, church leaders, local provincial administration representative, local business community representative and representative from the ministry of Special programmes.

They claim if the management of the funds is left to individuals appointed by Special programmes minister then the victims will never get fair compensation as funds will end up in individual’s pockets.

The residents say the committee appointed to manage the Faza Fire Disaster Fund looted it and the victims did not benefit from the funds as Sh. 17,061,775.00. This claim is based on a report on audit of the Faza Fire Disaster Fund Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 30th June 2010.

According to the report, the Fund Management Committee did not during the year maintain a cashbook, official receipt books, donations register, the relevant bank statements and a Balance Sheet. Consequently, it has not been possible to establish the actual value of donations both in cash and in kind, total disbursements and the cash balance as at 30th June 2010.

In the report, the Income and Expenditure Account reflected an expenditure of Kshs.48,216,312.40 relating to payments made to various contractors involved in the construction of houses and other related works in Faza. However, and out the figure of Kshs.48,216,312.40, payment vouchers and other related records in respect of an amount of Kshs.17,061,775.00 were not provided for audit review. As a result, the propriety of expenditure totalling Kshs.17,061,775.00 could not be ascertained.

President Mwai Kibaki through a Kenya Gazette notice No10651 dated the 1st October, 2009 appointed Mariam El-Maawy (Chairman), Joyce Lay, Mohamed Jaffery, Amb. Habib Jelani and Mohamed Zubedi as members of the Faza Fund Raising and Management Committee.

Another victims fund looted by those entrusted to manage it is the Nakumatt/Mollo fire victims’ fund. The Nakumatt/Molo Fire Victims Fund was established through Gazette Notice No.1171 dated 6th February 2009 to provide assistance in the payment of medical bills and associated humanitarian assistance to the victims of Nakumatt and Molo fire disasters.

According to a report, the Fund Management Committee has not since operationalization of the Fund maintained the relevant books of accounts including cashbooks, donations register, official receipts, payment vouchers and bank reconciliation statements, amongst others. Consequently, it has not been possible to ascertain the value of donations received both in cash and kind, the disbursements made and the Fund balance as at 30th June 2010.

The Accountability Statement for the period between 17th February 2009 and 30th June 2009 reflects receipts amounting to Kshs.112,448,484.00 from various well wishers, while the related analysis shows a figure of Kshs.112,807,933.50. The relevant bank statements on the other hand show total receipts of Kshs.133,943,492.00 as at 30 June 2009. No reconciliation or explanation has been provide for the differences between the three sets of records.

The report further reveals that the Accountability Statement also reflects payments to hospitals totalling Kshs.19,713,260.00, while records made available for audit show payments amounting to Kshs.19,998,502.21 as having been made. The resultant difference of Kshs.285,242.21 has not been reconciled or explained.

Although the Statement indicates that a sum of Kshs.11,700,000.00 was paid to the victims or their beneficiaries during the period, schedules in support of the payments show that an amount of Kshs.13,000,000.00 was disbursed. As in the previous instances, the difference of Kshs.1,300,000.00 has not been reconciled or explained.

The Molo/Nakumatt Fund and its Management Committee was established on 6th February 2009 by Kibaki through Gazette Notice No. 1171 to raise funds for the assistance of the Nakumatt/Molo Fire Tragedy victims, to assist in payment of the medical bills of the victims and to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims.

The Management team comprised Naushad N.Merali (Chairman), Edah I. Lusigi, Martin Oduor Otieno, Bethwel Kiplagat, Peter Kahara Munga and Abbas Gullet. There was another sub-committee comprised of Hon. Dr. Naomi Shaban, Ali D. Mohammed, Peter Gitonga, Steven Smith, Zarin Merali with Joseph N.Macharia and Mwihaki Muraguri as joint Secretaries to the Committee.

The committee collected funds through Nakumatt/Molo Fire Victims Fund Account Nakumatt/Accounts at Kenya Commercial Bank 111309730846, Equatorial Commercial Bank 10101300937, Equity Bank 01803293554254, Safaricom MPESA 1113222 and Zain ZAP 073130003111.

Going by the above report, it is against such fears that residents of Sinai now want an independent and all-inclusive management committee to manage the funds.