BY   DICKENS  WASONGA IN KISUMU.
 
  OVER ten contractors who got tenders to supply different commodities to the municipal council  of Kisumu have now threatened to go to court to force the local authority to pay them their deus.
 
  The suppliers some of whom said they were owed between ksh. 200,000 to 300,000 vowed to seek redress from the courts because the council has remained adamant to pay them and demanded immediate transfer of the treasurer.
 
  According to one of them who said he supplied stationery worth ksh. 340,000 to the council, their biggest problem has been to  secure audience with the treasurer Mr.  Richard Sang who they claim is never in the office to attend to the publics.
 
  The frustrated supplier said he has made endless visits to the treasures office in abid to agree on how he can be paid in vain.
 
  He showed this writer a copy of a letter he wrote to the clerk to the council Mr. Rashid Mwakiwiwi early this month seeking his intervention for the payment.
 
  He also made available copies of the transactions between him and the civic body which confirms that he indeed delivered the said items to the council but his is yet to be paid.
 
  ”  We are forced to come here looking for the treasurer even for over a month, but even when you get to see him,you only get empty promises while his un professional body-guards man handle visitor at the reception..”  he said.
 
  One of them who did not want to be named said it took the personal intervention of the deputy mayor cllr. Pamela  Josy to have him paid.
 
  ” I approached the deputy mayor and told her my stories  which was shocking and she took me to the clerk who ordered that I be paid.” he remarked.
 
 
  The suppliers say they have remained patient with the council for a long time over debt settlement issue where one is allegedly required to offer a kick-back and now they say enough is enough.
 
  According to sources at the city hall, the council recently received ksh. 63m  from the LATF which it has been using to pay salary areas  owed  to  its workers who have not been paid for upto 14 months.
 
  Even leading local print media such as the Kenya Times, Standard and Nation media groups  have not been paid for months for advertisements.
 
  ENDS..
 
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Date:  Mon, 19 May 2008 03:05:41 -0700 (PDT)
From:  Dickens Wasonga
Subject:  SUPPLIERS THREATEN COURT ACTION AGAINST KISUMU MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OVER NON-PAYMENT.