Team wants campus shut over fleecing of county

A senior county official has been accused of establishing a public academic institution on his land and pocketing rent paid by the county for the institutions’ premises.

A new report prepared by the County Assembly Committee on Education reveals that the County Director for Education Peter Otieno established a satellite campus of the Liganwa Vocational Training Centre on his land.

He was charging Sh100,000 as rent. Committee members claim Mr Otieno’s actions amount to a conflict of interest.

In the report tabled in the assembly on Tuesday, the committee has recommended that Otieno refunds the rent to the county’s Finance department.

It argued that there was no proof that any authority had recommended the establishment of the institution.

Conflict of interest

In her submissions to the committee, Executive Member for Education Mary Omondi said the Liganwa Vocational Training Centre main campus management had colluded with Otieno to open a branch of the institution on Otieno’s land in Hawinga.

“The institution manager signed a cheque of Sh100,000 advance payment to Otieno to cater for rent for the Hawinga branch. This was conflict of interest,” Ms Omondi said.

Otieno has so far admitted that indeed the campus has been opened at his home in Hawinga. He, however, defended the move saying Liganwa’s board looked for a suitable place to establish the campus and settled for his land.

“The board members wrote the cheque in my name and I received the money.  I agree this was an irregularity and it was unlawful to receive the Sh100,000 rent. I plead for forgiveness. Let the matter rest,” Otieno said. The committee has now directed that the institution closes down the campus and stop remitting rent.