The whistle-blower who unearthed the more than Sh400 million graft payment claims by Siaya county has blamed investigative agencies for dragging their feet.
Chris Owalla of Community Initiative Action Group now says the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the DCI appear to have developed cold feet in probing corruption claims.
He wants the electorate to step up and oversight the county government.
“EACC and the DCI have in the past come to Siaya but we haven't seen any progress, we expected them to investigate this case,” he said.
Owalla explained that this is not the first time corruption is reported in the county but the two agencies are yet to nail down the culprits.
Whenever a corruption issue like this one comes up, Owalla said, the two agencies just visit Siaya and nothing happens.
On Wednesday, Governor James Orengo, in a press statement, said the county is actively being investigated by the EACC.
As such, Owalla said that the people of Siaya are at a disadvantage because even the new county assembly will not be effective in its oversight mandate.
“The assembly’s departmental committees were also killed and are no longer functional,” he said.
Owalla said that the 7-member taskforce appointed by Orengo to conduct a forensic audit into the financial and human resource systems is a step in the right direction.
However, he criticised the 60-day period that the taskforce is expected to finish its work; saying that it is not enough owing to the deep rot in the county.
“The 30 days that the taskforce is to avail an interim report is not sufficient. The audit ought to have embraced a public hearing style,” Owalla said.
Owalla wants Orengo to send all treasury and other key officers on leave to pave way for a meaningful audit.
In the suspected corruption case as seen by the Star, the department of Finance and Economic Planning paid out Sh406,072,525 between July 1 and July 13.
“The money has been plundered using names of junior employees yet there are senior people who are waiting to receive the money on the other end,” Owalla said.
The whistle-blower noted that the Ifmis cycle was to end by July 20. So somebody was definitely beating the deadline.
(Edited by Tabnacha O)
