PM dissolves boards over alleged misuse of Sh1.8b

By Athman Amran and Lonah Kibet

Prime Minister, Raila Odinga has suspended the board and trustees of two organisations for the disabled to pave the way for investigations of alleged misappropriation of over Sh1.8 billion.

Mr Raila has ordered immediate investigations of members of the board of the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCWPD) and the trustees of the National Development Fund for Persons with Disabilities (NDFPWD) by the Efficiency Monitoring Unit (EMU).

“Those involved should step aside and when the report comes out we will ensure justice is done,” the PM said when he addressed demonstrating members of the Disability Caucus for Empowerment and Development (DCED) who had handed him a petition at his office in Nairobi.

The PM said EMU was to hand over results of its forensic audit within two weeks.

Mr Raila said he has already ordered the Gender, Children and Social Development minister Dr Naomi Shaban to immediately take steps to effect the suspension of the board of NCWPD and trustees of NDFPWD.

The disabled people also presented the petition to President Mwai Kibaki’s Harambee House office in Nairobi and Parliament where nominated MP Sophia Abdi received the document and promised the alleged scandal will be investigated.

The petition, which was signed by DCED Chairman, Vincent Oduor and Secretary Peter Muchiri had called for the disbanding of the two organisations following and expose of alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the suffering thousands of the disabled in the country by the KTN.

“The purpose of this petition is to demand for the dissolution of the Disability Council and the Board of trustees of the Development Fund within 48 hours failure to which we shall have no option, as persons with disabilities but to physically remove them from office,” the petition said.

At the same time the Kenya Society for the Mentally Handicapped (KSMH), the Disabled Voters of Kenya Alliance (DVA) and the Central Region Deaf Network presented a confidential list of 20 people with disability to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to be investigated for alleged misappropriation of funds.

“Most of the people listed are very senior and are in some of the commissions formed under the new Constitution,” the Chief Executive Officer of KSMH Ms Edah Wangechi said during a press conference in Nairobi.

She and other members presented the names of the suspects to the co-ordinator of investigations and asset tracing directorate Mr Kennedy Bosire at the EACC offices in Nairobi.

Mr Bosire said he and his investigations team will go through the document and then recall the group through an appointment.