County council suspends two officers

By Sammy Jakaa

Teso County Council has suspended two officers for three months over gross misconduct.

During a finance, staff and general purpose committee meeting held at the council hall, the civic leaders resolved to send home Councillor Maurice Chetambe and Pascal Okiru, a public officer, just a day after they led residents in a demonstration over the alleged misappropriation of Sh15 million meant for the council projects.

The main agenda for the meeting chaired by Councillor Noah Otauti of Akoret ward was to discuss the conduct of the two officers.

According to the council, the two were part of a task force mandated to investigate the alleged misuse of funds and was required to table their findings before the committee.

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But instead of reporting back to the committee they organised a demonstration to lock out those alleged to have embezzled the funds.

“We expected Chetambe and Okiru to avail information on the Sh15 million said to have been misappropriated,” said Otauti.

Decision

Council Clerk James Mugweru confirmed that the decision to suspend them was arrived at both the finance committee and the full council meeting.

Chetambe, however, dismissed the suspension arguing that the councillors have no powers to suspend him.

“We have all the documented proof to show that the funds have been misappropriated,” he said and challenged the treasurer to prove him otherwise.

Okiru also said he would not be intimidated and asked the council to involve an independent body to investigate the allegations instead of suspending them.

“Their move to suspend us depicts panic,” said Okiru. The two said they were proceeding to the regional Anti-Corruption Commission office in Kisumu to forward their report.

Western Provincial Local Government Officer Patrick Malombe said the councillors could only suspend the two from attending council meetings.

He added that it was illegal for them to take confidential documents to the Press before tabling it at the council. Malombe further said he was thinking of instituting a criminal suit against them for locking up the council offices.