- Waiguru has been summoned for grilling by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over suspected tender irregularities.
- The new obstacle is likely to deal a huge blow to Waiguru’s political career.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
It is a double blow to Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru who is embroiled in a protracted political battle with MCAs after it emerged that anti-graft detectives have trained the spotlight on her administration.
Waiguru has been summoned for grilling by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over suspected tender irregularities in her county.
While acquitting her over impeachment, the Senate concluded that “there exists a well-orchestrated and complex web of corruption in the tendering process at the county government of Kirinyaga.”
The new obstacle is likely to deal a huge blow to Waiguru’s political career, coming at a time when she was positioning herself as potential successor to President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Mt Kenya region.
The Star has established that Waiguru will be grilled in Nairobi on Wednesday next week.
She was set to be grilled on Tuesday this week but the governor requested for a postponement.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has accepted your request and postponed the date of the interview to Wednesday 22 July 2020 from 9am at Integrity Centre office, Nairobi. Take note that EACC will not postpone the interview any further,” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak said.
Mbarak, a former military intelligence officer, has rejuvenated the war against graft, and last week announced the imminent fall of two governors over corruption.
"In the next one or two months, we will have at least one or two governors charged,” Twalib told Citizen TV in an interview on Thursday last week.
Sources said the EACC intends to scrutinise all the controversial procurement that have dogged Kirinyaga county.
"The imprests payments that MCAs raised in their petition are the main issue that concern her [Waiguru] though there are other issues,"a highly placed source at the EACC told the Star.
During her impeachment, MCAs claimed Waiguru was irregularly paid travel allowances amounting to Sh10.6 million “yet she did not make the trips”.
The MCA had claimed that Waiguru presided over a corrupt and joint criminal enterprise by ensuring persons who had close association to her presided over the evaluation and award of tenders.
Put on the spot were the director of administration Pauline Kamau, Gichira Wayne, the governor’s ICT adviser and director of procurement Joseph Carilus Otieno.
"The committee noted that the circumstances under which Pauline Kamau was recruited raised a lot of questions. The said officer was not qualified to hold the office of director of administration and further that her recruitment was pushed through by the governor," the Senate concluded
However, the Senate said there was no nexus between the governor and those culpable of wrongdoing
The 11-member Senate committee that was chaired by Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala said it had uncovered potential evidence of graft in the award of tenders.
“The committee notes that it is apparent there exists a well-orchestrated and complex web of corruption in the tendering process at the county government of Kirinyaga. To this end, officers who are found culpable should take personal responsibility for their acts of omission or commission,” the committee said in its report.
It asked the EACC to investigate some of the allegations on tendering and report back within 60 days.
For instance, in at least four of the tenders, the committee concluded that there was clear mismanagement of the process as tenders were awarded to companies whose bids were not responsive.
For instance, tender for the proposed water works for Mwea Makima project, was awarded to Eva Trading Agencies Limited, a company associated with the family of Mugo Ndathi, the county chief officer for Finance.
Edwin Gicobi Ndathi, who is a brother to the chief officer for Finance, holds 300 shares in the company, said the report.
The Malala-led committee further noted that the firm awarded the tender - Velocty Partners Ltd - was registered in May 2017 and was awarded the tender the following year despite not meeting the five-year requirement stipulated in the tender documents.
The team noted that one Wayne Gichira, the ICT adviser to the governor, conceptualised the project, chaired the evaluation committee, co-signed the contract with the chief officer for Finance and were responsible for the testing of the system.
The new developments come at a time when Waiguru's battle with the county assembly has hit a crescendo.
On Monday, some Kirinyaga ward representatives began pushing for the dissolution of the county.
The assembly members, who are opposed to Waiguru’s leadership style, say they will not relent until the county is disbanded.
Led by majority leader Kamau Murango, the reps said the devolved unit has become ungovernable and its leadership must go.
Edited by Henry Makori