Name of dead MCA finds its way into assembly report

Bungoma County Assembly at a past function. [File, Standard]

A dead MCA's name was captured in a report purported to have been prepared by members of assembly Implementation Committee, the court heard yesterday.

Former nominated MCA Rose Mukhwana, said the inclusion of Zeyna Kassim Watako's name was erroneous since she was deceased though there was no signature besides her name.

Mukhwana told Kakamega Senior Principal Magistrate Thomas Muraguri that the committee never participated in writing the report.

“This is not a genuine report. We were to discuss on the County Integrated Development Plan for the projects carried out by the county but the meeting never took place,” she said.

Ms Mukhwana insisted that one of the accused persons approached her on September 4, 2018 purporting to have been sent by the clerk of the county assembly to get her name and signature.

“I was called by Dunstan Wafula who later came to my home last month to get my name and signature alleging that he had been sent from the county assembly. I went ahead and assented my signature which I am sure has been forged in making of the purported report and minutes of a meeting that never took place,” said Ms Mukhwana.

This is despite the court issuing a stern warning to the accused persons not to visit their former offices or contact any of the witnesses.

State Prosecutor Paul Juma unsuccessfully applied to have the bond terms of the accused persons cancelled for witness interference but the trial magistrate said the reasons were not compelling enough.

The report titled Report of implementation Committee on the fact finding visits on the status of implementation on sampled projects and programs in the second edition of Bungoma County CIDP 2013-2017.

Mukhwana said that she wrote her name in the payment schedule after the committee clerk asked them to saying that he was to look for money to facilitate the meeting.

Margret Barasa, a former nominated MCA told the court that her name was overwritten on another name since she never attended any meeting to discuss the CIDP.

The two dismissed a report purported to have been written by the committee saying that the members have never sat to date.

The two were testifying in a case where seven persons are charged with 14 counts of corruption and economic crimes, uttering false documents and fraudulent acquisition of public property.

They were jointly alleged to have conspired to commit a corruption offense namely misappropriation of public funds amounting to Sh2,360,000 million and failed to account for the same money on diverse dates between September 13, 2016 and December 23, 2016.

They include Chuli Murumba (County Secretary), County Director of Human Resource Mathias Wanyela, Dunstan Wafula (committee clerk) and accountants Yahya Mutali, Fredrick Mukhwana, Carolyn Malangachi and Ben Arenico.

They are accused of making an unsigned copy of a report on fact finding on revised CIDP and submitting it to the Chief Finance Officer, Chrispinus Barasa.

They have since denied the charges and are out on bond.

Their trial resumes today.