Residents tell Senate to probe Machakos County

Machakos People's Park. (Photo: Boniface Okendo/Standard)

The Senate has been petitioned to probe the Machakos County Executive and Assembly over corruption claims.

The ten page memorandum signed by 24 county residents claims that the executive single-sourced the construction of the Machakos People's Park without following the due procurement procedure as set out in the law.

Article 227 of the Constitution and the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005 requires that tenders be competitively sourced.

Consequently, the memorandum points out that the purchase of 120 police vehicles and 70 ambulances was conducted by single sourcing thus breaching the Government policy on purchase of second hand motor vehicles.

The assembly is also being castigated for approving the irregular purchase of two second-hand vehicles for use by the Speaker, which also flouted legal procurement and Government policy.

The two pre-used vehicles, a Toyota Prado and a Toyota Harrier Station Wagon, were bought at Sh7 million and Sh2.6 million respectively.

Abuse of office

The petitioners also claim that the Speaker breached the law by sanctioning the payment of the vehicles, a responsibility that should have been carried out by the assembly clerk who is, according to the law, also the chief executive of the assembly and the accounting officer.

The residents also want action taken against the county government for the purchase of 40 tractors through similar single sourcing.

Equally, the county government is accused of making irregular payments of allowances to MCAs amounting to Sh4 million, an expenditure that was made as a token of appreciation to members for voting in the current Speaker.

Similarly, the county executive is accused of having authorised expenditure for a foreign trip for 40 MCAs to South Africa at a cost of Sh4,555,104 - money that was not budgeted for.

The petitioners also accused the county government of failing to remit its staff salary deductions to the National Social Security Fund and National Hospital Insurance Fund among others, which have actually inconvenienced them especially with reference to banks loan deductions.

The 24 residents, therefore, want the senators to investigate the matter and take appropriate measures aimed at protecting the Constitution and taxpayers' money.

They also want money irregularly disbursed recovered from those deemed to have benefited from the same illegally.

A similar appeal has also been extended to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to expeditiously complete investigations on each and every allegation against the county government.