Oparanya bans staff from trading with county

Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya. [Nathan Ochunge/Standard]

Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has warned that employees doing business with the county government will be dismissed.

Mr Oparanya was addressing county executive members, chief officers and heads of departments during a forum to strategise on how to increase revenue collection yesterday.

“A directive is hereby issued to all employees of the county to refrain from doing any business with the county government or through proxies. Such arrangements make the county to procure goods and services at inflated prices,” said the county boss.

Oparanya said the war on corruption in the country is unstoppable and that he had decided to crack the whip starting with corrupt employees.

“As a county staff, you will be required to declare your interest in any business your kinsman wants to do with the county government. County staff and their relatives will be thoroughly scrutinised before the tender is awarded,” he said.

The warning comes just two weeks after the governor sent all the 143 revenue-collection officers on a 60-day compulsory leave and replaced them with community administrators.

A senior county official who was in the meeting, told The Standard the decision to send the revenue officers on compulsory leave was arrived at after the governor discovered that a lot of money was ending up in the pockets of individuals.

“We have a revenue officer who earns Sh28,000 but has built several flats in Kakamega town and residential houses in Lurambi estate yet he has not taken any bank loan,” said the official.

He said after a fact-finding mission that was secretly authorised by the governor, it was discovered that the revenue officers own several properties in town.

The official said their papers and files had been forwarded to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for further investigations, adding that those found culpable would be sacked and prosecuted.