A section of Bungoma County Assembly members has cried foul over missing cash that was recently approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Led by Kimilili MCA David Barasa, the ward reps said that despite President Uhuru Kenyatta and the SRC giving the green light for the grant, most members won’t get it over missing cash.
Barasa spoke to the Star after reporting the case to Bungoma DCI offices terming it fraud by assembly leadership which he wanted to be investigated.
“I am armed with enough evidence that that the account is zero and we won’t accept to miss this privilege when other members have already received their grants,” said Barasa.
However, in a quick rejoinder, the Speaker of the Assembly Emmanuel Situma dismissed Barasa as an alarmist.
“I wish the honourable member would just be realistic even for a second. All his allegations are unfounded with no basis,” said Situma.
Situma said the shortage of the cash had arisen from the fact that MCAs who lost the last elections had been given the car loans and still have not repaid them.
“The money that is supposed to be given to the MCAs as car grants is from a kitty that was previously revolved as per the SRC directives. Most MCAs especially who lost elections have not repaid their loans,” he said.
He said 37 out of 63 members had received their grants of Sh2 million shillings each but the money in the said kitty wasn’t enough to give all the ward reps in batches.
“Even me as Speaker I am entitled to the grant but I haven’t been given because there is not enough cash,” he said.
Situma added that the loans kitty which was to give grants was an independent account overseen by a Loan Committee chaired by the Finance and Budget Committee chairpersons,” he said.
Situma clarified that it is the committee that decides who to give the money subject to the availability of funds.
The Speaker said the committee was still recovering more monies and once they are available, they will be distributed to other members as car grants.
