•Atandi also asked Orengo to sack all the staff at the country treasury in the wake of claims that Sh 400 million was irregularly withdrawn by some officials days to the August 9 election.
•" The revelations are trembling & shocking! I urge Governor @orengo_james to send County Secretary Joseph Ogutu on leave and sack all staff in the county treasury. This rot is deep," he said in the tweet.
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
Siaya County secretary Joseph Ogutu has lashed out at Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi over the calls by the legislator to have him sent packing.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the MP asked Siaya governor James Orengo to immediately send the county secretary on compulsory leave over an alleged Sh400 million scandal.
Atandi also asked Orengo to sack all the staff at the country treasury in the wake of claims that Sh400 million was irregularly withdrawn by some officials days to the August 9 election.
Nation published the story of the alleged Sh400 million heist on Tuesday.
"The revelations are trembling & shocking! I urge Governor @orengo_james to send County Secretary Joseph Ogutu on leave and sack all staff in the county treasury. This rot is deep," he said.
On Wednesday, the MP thanked the governor for what he described as his decision by him to stay on the side of the people.
" I thank Siaya Governor @orengo_james for staying on the side of wananchi and promising a progressive overhaul of the rotten County administration," he tweeted.
The executive is reported to have paid Sh11,254,800 million to four clerks of the Siaya county assembly somewhere between July 1 and July 13.
In response, the County Secretary on Wednesday hit out at the MP saying he was shocked by his sentiments.
Ogutu termed Atandi's remarks against him as unwarranted and unprecedented blackmail.
"Whereas I join the rest of us in condemning the alleged heist and support the need to conduct investigations to reveal the perpetrators, I wish to express my shock following the speed and zeal with which our MP Hon Atandi has subjected me to unwarranted and unprecedented blackmail and public court judgement without any verification or at least seeking my view on the matter," he said.
Image: FILE
"This is unfair to me and irresponsible behaviour by the MP. But we know the games working out under his hand."
Last year former governor Cornel Rasanga replaced his chief officer of finance Denis Nyonje and two other senior finance officials following a probe that was facing them over the disappearance of Sh600 million in the county treasury.
DCI detectives interrogated over 50 officials from the department from the county for three days in Kisumu last year. Nyonje was among those who were summoned by the detectives.
At the time, he was replaced by Rasanga, Nyonje was already serving a suspension after he was identified as a person of interest in the 600 million DCI probe which is ongoing.
During the campaigns, he was a conspicuous figure in Atandi's camp.
On Tuesday Governor Orengo termed as “not news” reports that the Siaya county government lost Sh400 million during the transition period.
In a press statement, Orengo acknowledged that the Treasury in Siaya is indeed a cesspool of corruption.
“… without mincing my words, the treasury in Siaya is rotten and so, the latest report on financial impropriety and administrative malpractices is not news,” Orengo’s statement read in part.
The governor also sought to assure the public that he is in control of a comprehensive forensic audit of the financial and human resource systems of the first administration is underway.
He also clarified that his government had stopped any new procurement and payment of any pending bills and allowances until when the verification and confirmation is done.
“No procurements are being undertaken nor new contracts awarded until we are done with the application of prompt and effective interventions,” read the statement.
He reminded the county treasury not to dare pay or engage in any financial transaction during this period without his direct authority.
His government has only allowed such transactions for emergencies and essential services.
On Sept 22, Orengo constituted a 7-member audit committee led by retired auditor general Edward Ouko.
The team is expected to audit the financial and human resource systems of the devolved unit, with a sharp focus on the last two financial years of former governor Cornel Rasanga’s administration.
“This is the pathway to eradicating endemic and systemic corruption in Siaya,” Orengo said in the statement Wednesday.
Ouko and the team have 60 days to do their work, starting September 22.
They are also expected to avail an interim report by October 22.
Siaya county has been under the radar of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over a past corruption case amounting to Sh600 million.