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Joab Bwonya, the Executive Director of the Western Kenya Human Rights Watch\n(WKHRW) also wants the investigative sleuths to probe the assembly\u2019s committee\nof Agriculture on how they spend half a million shillings at a non-existent\nreport writing retreat in Kisumu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want EACC and DCI to move with speed and investigate the Assembly\nleadership over the loss of the tax payer\u2019s money. Ward Reps have failed in\ntheir oversight role by refusing to recommend prosecution of the affected\nofficers,\u201d said Mr Bwonya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to documents that the County Splash is in possession of,\nAgriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives committee held a meeting at\nthe assembly premises on December 7, 2017 but the committee members took Sh500,\n000 in allowances purporting to have held the meeting at a Kisumu hotel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “EACC and DCI should do forensic investigations to unveil the variance\nsince the invoice from a Kisumu Hotel dated December 17, 2017 varies from the\nIFMIS payment made on December 14, 2017,” said Bwonya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said officers carrying out the investigations should also demand the\nreleases of the evaluation report to the public about the controversial\npurchase of a sub-standard 33- seat bus and a double cabin pick up without\nfollowing the procurement process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Public Administration Committee investigating the matter was chaired by\nKabuyefwe ward MCA, John Lutukai. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Different witnesses who appeared before the committee investigating the\nmatter gave contradicting information casting doubt on whether due process was\nfollowed in procuring the two vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Assembly had allocated a total of Sh 6 million for the purchase of\na 33-seater bus but instead, a 28 seater second-hand bus was purchased at Sh\n4.5 million. The bus did not have an insurance cover and yet a brand new\nvehicle has to be supplied with an insurance cover from the dealer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While appearing before the committee, Principal Legal Officer,\nIgnatius Wangila differed with the clerk to the County Assembly John\nMosongo who accused him of lying under oath after he disowned a professional\nreport compiled by his evaluation team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minutes of an independent professional opinion on the evaluated report for\nthe supply of the two motor vehicles chaired by Wangila, dated March 12, 2019,\nreveals that the lowest bidder for the supply of the 33-seater bus was unfairly\ndisqualified to proceed to the final stage on an unmerited technicality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lowest bidder for the supply and delivery of a double cabin pick up had\nquoted a sum of Sh5.109 million was knocked out even after quoting the Toyota\nmodel required by the procurement entity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “It cannot be explained by those involved in the shoddy deal why the\nhighest bidder of 5.87 million was awarded the tender instead of giving it to\nthe lowest bidder to ensure that there is value for our money,” said\nBwonya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The County assembly clerk John Mosongo while appearing before the committee\nadmitted to having received the bus from the supplier without following the due\nprocess. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “He would have formed an inspection and acceptance committee as\nrequired by the procurement laws,” said Bwonya.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An accountant, Julia Naliaka was at pains to explain to the committee\nwhy she made payments for the bus contrary to procurement laws that demanded an\ninspection of the bus before delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to documents in our custody, there were no marks awarded to the\nlowest bidder in the column of evaluators while marks awarded to the highest\nbidder have been either corrected or deleted on the evaluation form to favor\nthe bidder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bwonya demanded the release of the report adding that the award was contrary\nto a professional opinion made by the legal officer who had recommended for the\ncancellation of the whole process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The county assembly which is mandated to do representation and\noversight has compromised its constitutional role die to conflict of\ninterest as they own through proxies companies trading with the county\ngovernment,” <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ends.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bungoma By Tony Wafula The Ethics Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) have been asked to start forensic investigations on the leadership of Bungoma County Assembly over the loss of taxpayers money. Bungoma based human rights activists want EACC and DCI to narrow there investigations on the controversial purchase of \u2018an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-675","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-kenya-news"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/horizonnews.co.ke\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/IMG-20200305-WA0010-928x1024.jpg\")
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