Homa Bay MCAs have asked the DPP to investigate county assembly clerk Bob Kephas over financial irregularities.
A report by the county assembly’s committee on justice and legal affairs accuses Kephas of culpability in the loss of Sh34.4 million.
The committee says the clerk perpetrated anomalies which led to the loss. “Kephas used his position as clerk to employ 16 ghost workers who never rendered services to the county assembly.”
The MCAs said the clerk irregularly opened a “strange county assembly mortgage account” at Equity Bank’s Homa Bay branch.
The money was withdrawn through the account between July 4 and December 16, 2017.
Committee chairman Okuku Miregi asked anti-graft agencies to investigate Kephas.
Miregi tabled the report in the House on Thursday.
The report further says Kephas authorised irregular payments of Sh1 million to Speaker Elizabeth Ayoo.
The ward reps also want Ayoo investigated. “The committee appeals to the DPP, EACC and DCI to investigate Kephas and hold him to account for the loss public funds,” Miregi said.
Both Kephas and Ayoo said they were unaware of the claims.
In August last year, Kephas was arrested for allegedly embezzling Sh27,872,278 from the assembly.
The arrest followed a court warrant after he failed to appear before senior principal magistrate Thomas Obuto. He and senior accounts controller Maurice Amek had earlier evaded arrests ordered by DPP Noordin Haji.
On Thursday, 50 MCAs unanimously agreed to have Kephas dismissed as assembly clerk. Homa Bay has 60 MCAs.
They said there was no need for him to remain as the clerk.
The assembly session was presided over by acting Speaker Evans Marieba. Members said Kephas was not fit to continue holding office.
“Kephas inflated sitting allowances to some of the assembly service board members leading to loss of Sh608,000 besides other irregularities,” Miregi said.
HOSTILE MEMBERS
Central Karachuonyo MCA Julius Gaya said it was wrong for Kephas to come up with “lame excuses” for misusing public funds.
“We can’t allow someone who has misused public funds to continue serving in this assembly,” Gaya said.
Nominated member Susan Onyango accused the official of failure to remit statutory deductions of MCAs to organisations which should receive them.
“Kephas will cause more harm to members of this assembly and the taxpayer should he continue being in office,” Onyango said.
North Karachuonyo MCA Paul Wamunga accused Kephas of being an obstacle to development. “If Kephas is the reason why staff of this assembly is demoralised, let him go,” Wamunga said.
The clerk said he did not know what was happening in the county assembly. “I’m neither aware of any report of misuse of funds nor do I know about my dismissal,” he told the Star by phone.
Ayoo denied benefiting from inflated allowances. “The only money I have received is for mortgage. I’m not aware of any irregular payment I received,” she said.
The embattled speaker was impeached last year but got a reprieve after the High Court in Kisumu temporarily reinstated her. She is however yet to resume work due to hostility from MCAs.