Four top Nandi county officials have defied an assembly summons to shed light on stolen construction materials and tyres in a Sh200 million graft probe.
A nine-member ad hoc probe team rescheduled their appearance to Saturday, June 8, and urged the officials to present themselves.
The assembly had issued summons to acting CEC for Education Jacob Tanui, acting CEC for Roads Elly Kurgat, together with their chief officers.
The probe team began their public inquiry into the theft of ECDE building materials and tyres worth Sh4 million missing from the Roads department. Materials to build ECDE centres were also stolen.
The committee said they would treat another no-show as contempt and the height of impunity, saying they were investigating loss of public property.
Committee chairman Emmanuel Mengeech (Ol’Lessos ward) said his committee was guided by the Standing Orders, the Constitution and the County Government Act.
“We know we are confronting a very sensitive issue which has a lot of vested interests, but as we confront graft in our county, we must urge the EACC and the DCI to help people of Nandi,” Mengeech said.
The same officials have appeared before a probe team appointed by Governor Stephen Sang.
“Some of the CECs have written to the assembly for more time but you should realise that we have only 30 days,” he said.
Tanui told the Star that he was yet to get the details of what is in their stores and what was missing and would appear "at a convenient time”.
The probe team includes Teresa Maiyo, Osborn Komen, Fred Kipkemboi, Pius Sing'oei, Rose Chesang, Walter Teno (Vice Chair), Gideon Koech and Mengeech.
It warned they were in for tough times if the executive continued undermining them.
“If they try and cripple the assembly probe committee, we shall recommend far-reaching action which might hurt those being asked not to honour our summons,” the committee noted.
The probe team was appointed after the assembly rejected the governor's team, claiming it consisted of junior officers who could not investigate their bosses.
The team has so far visited various construction projects said to have used materials that, in fact, don't exist.
