Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka denounces firm in tender row

Bungoma County Governor Ken Lusaka (right) with Senate Finance Committee Chairman Peter Mositet (left) and committee member Bonny Khalwale when he appeared before the committee at Parliament Buildings yesterday to answer to claims of financial impropriety. (PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/ STANDARD)

Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka yesterday rejected claims he is associated with a company that was awarded numerous county tenders.

A petition by area residents to the Senate Finance Committee has questioned why the county boss had given M'Big Limited the bulk of county contracts, especially solar and street lighting installation projects in various market centres.

The residents had alleged in the petition that the governor was linked to the firm through proxy, which they claimed was the reason why the company received prompt payments for work done.

But Lusaka distanced himself from the company and explained to the Peter Mositet-led committee that M'Big Limited is a well known contractor in the county that had established itself even before the start of devolution.

"The company has been working in Bungoma long before I became governor. In fact, the firm did more than eight Constituency Development Fund (CDF) contracts in Sirisia constituency when Senator (Moses) Wetang'ula was the area MP," said Mr Lusaka.

Mr Wetangula, who was invited to the committee sitting by virtue of being the area senator was, however, not amused by the invocation of his name.

"It will be helpful for the governor to focus on the matters that brought him before this committee," said the Ford Kenya party boss.

On the infamous issue of the 10 wheelbarrows that were bought at Sh109,320 each, which was among the matters cited by the petitioners as areas where prices of items were inflated, Governor Lusaka said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission was handling the matter.

"Investigations are going on over the wheelbarrows matter. I invited officers from the EACC to the county to look at the issue and gave them most of the documents. We are awaiting their report," he told the committee.

The governor was questioned on how money allocated to the devolved unit was put into use between the 2013/2015 financial year after five petitioners raised complaints over the expenditure.

The petitioners, Philip Wanyonyi, Albert Simiyu, John Wekesa, John Mukenya and Jacinta Nabuchia in May wrote to the Senate, claiming that public resources in the county had not been used prudently.

They further alleged in the petition that Governor Lusaka's administration had failed to adhere to the Public Finance Management Act, which they noted demands accountability for funds spent by all public entities.

The petitioners queried why the county government debt during the 2014/2015 financial year stood at Sh2.537 billion, and yet a circular by the National Treasury requires that no pending bills must be incurred concurrently.