Isiolo County tender team members face corruption charges

Isiolo county tender commitee members (from left) Ali Huka, Peter Wamboko Khakame, Hadija Halake, county Treasury Head Humphrey Aaron Githuku Maina and Head of Procurement and Supply Chain Charles Gachihi Mungai on November 25, 2015 when they denied corruption charges in relation to the alleged irregular award of a Sh12,477,500 tender to Ms Shamz Hotel Limited for the supply of branded gunny sacks for repackaging relief food. They appeared before Meru anti corruption court magistrate Evans Makori [Photo/Martin Mwenda/Standard

Five Isiolo County tender committee officials yesterday denied graft charges related to the purchase of Sh12.4 million gunny sacks for the repackaging of relief food last year.

The five appeared before Meru Anti-Corruption Magistrate Evans Makori who released them on a Sh500,000 cash bail or a Sh1 million bond with a surety of a similar amount.

Charles Gachihi Mwangi, the county interim head of procurement and supply chain and Humphrey Aaron Githuku Maina, the head of county treasury, denied two counts of corruption, while county tender committee members Hadija Halake Dida, Peter Wamboko Khakame and Ali Huka Godana denied being conspirators.

Ms Dida is the county payroll head while Mr Huka is a senior accountant in the County Assembly of Isiolo.

Mr Mwangi is accused of failing to comply with the law and guidelines relating to tendering on March 22, 2014, while initiating the procurement of gunny sacks at Sh300 each, according to EACC sources.

He allegedly failed to adhere to six provisions of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005, and Regulation 53(1) of the Public Procurement and Disposal Regulations, 2006.

He is also alleged to have abused his office to confer a benefit on Shamz Hotel Limited on March 29, 2014, by awarding the tender to supply the sacks.

Denied charge

Mr Githuku, who chaired the tender committee, denied the charge that he failed to comply with laws relating to management of funds by authorising the payment of Sh12,477,500 to Shamz Hotel Limited on May 6, 2014, in relation to the tender to supply the gunny sacks.

The anti-corruption magistrate released the accused on bond pending the hearing of the case on February 18.

Mr Makori said he had balanced between the pleadings of the defence, of State counsel as well as new regulations while granting the bond terms.