Committee clears Nairobi Roads boss over graft

Nairobi County executive for Roads Evans Ondieki with his supporters after a session with PAC team.  [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By JAMES MWANGI

NAIROBI COUNTY: A select committee investigating the conduct of sacked Nairobi County executive for Roads, Transport and Public Works Evans Ondieki has tabled the report, clearing him of all the accusations raised.

The County Assembly, still in recess held a special sitting yesterday, two weeks after the House censured him last month over graft allegations.

The committee chair Maurice Akuk tabled the report yesterday afternoon, amid disapprovals from the members of the Assembly, who felt dissatisfied.

“Pursuant to Section 40 (5)(a) of the County Government Act, 2012, and County Assembly Standing Order 62 (6), the Select Committee finds the allegations as contained in the Motion for censure and removal of the County Executive Evans Ondieki from office as unsubstantiated,” stated Akuk.

The move allows Ondieki to resume office, and will be constitutionally bound to execute his official duties.

The House did not discuss the report as law provides, but the members held a private session and purportedly declared to pursue more alleged “shady” activities in the executive’s office.

“He is not yet out of the woods. He has a reprieve for now but when we resume from recess in June, we will table other more documented evidence,” a member told The Standard.

OFFICIAL DUTIES

The Assembly committee for Roads and Public Works has also been tasked to investigate on whether money has been paid to any public and state officer of the county government, by a Gullied Kunow Mursal, in regard to the planned Nairobi Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) System.

The committee, chaired by Diana Kapeen (South C) will seek to know whether there is an agreement, or memorandum of understanding between the county authority and Diamond Coaches Limited.

Last month, Ondieki told the probe committee that the Diamond Coaches Ltd wrote to Governor Evans Kidero over the planned PSV bus system, and the governor sought his opinion on the matter.

“This was a mere proposal by Diamond Coaches and I gave my opinion in good faith,” he stated.

He also said, “Besides Foton, we have requests from Volvo, Leyland and others but we cannot proceed until policies are developed,” he told the committee last Friday.

The probe team, however questioned why Ondieki wrote to Diamond Coaches, but left the other companies out.

In the next four weeks, the Kapeen-led committee will also inquire into the interested partners in the BRT system.