Corrupt county officers will not be tolerated in Nyandarua, Governor Francis Kimemia has said.
He said on Thursday those found culpable must be prepared to carry their crosses.
Also put on notice are lazy public officers. “There is time for jokes and time for serious business. The time to crack the whip has come. Anyone who came to steal from the government should pack and go back to wherever they came from,” Kimemia said
The county chief said Nyandarua county officials should tighten their shoelaces and be ready to deliver on their mandate.
Kimemia spoke during the Nyandarua County Dialogue Forum at Catholic Hall in Ol Kalou.
He said he would hate to see Nyandarua ranked as one of the most corrupt counties.
The governor said the education department is among the hardest-hit by corruption, especially bursary cash that is diverted from poor children.
Towards the end of December last year, Sh60 million was issued for 9,601 students. Kimemia said some of this money ended up in the wrong pockets. The governor said stealing money meant from the needy must be stopped.
He has instructed Education executive Faith Mbugua to compile a list of the beneficiaries of bursaries issued last year. “The list will be taken to the grassroots for the people to verify and tell us if those are children resurrected from the dead, if they are living or if there are no needy children,” the governor said.
PARENTS NEED RECEIPTS
He said school boards’ chairmen will be called upon to confirm if bursary cash was used to fund needy children’s education.
Parents whose children were target beneficiaries will also be required to produce receipts issued by the schools to confirm if indeed the money was absorbed in the school systems.
Failure to issue receipts to parents is a confirmation the money was embezzled, he said.
Kimemia said he has established that some bursary money got to various schools but was later taken by some individuals.
Such greedy people, he said, will only attract a curse to themselves. “I know that is happening because, we too, have our intelligence,” the governor said
He said in some departments officials demand bribes to award tenders to contractors. These officials, Kimemia said, lie to their victims that the money they demand goes to the office of the governor.
He told residents not to give bribes. “If asked for money on my behalf, tell them you will bring it to me in person,” Kimemia said.
He said that despite his administration announcing that bars in be reduced to fewer than 1,000, some officials are issuing fake licenses to unsuspecting traders.
Ward administrators must stop, the county chief said.
Kimemia said he will soon be reorganise his government to end some of these problems. “I know that I have Wanjiku’s support,” he said.