Kisumu County on the spot for spending Sh11.5 million to buy 48 seats

The Kisumu County assembly leadership is on the spot for spending Sh11.5 million to buy 48 seats.

Residents and MCAs have questioned the quality of the seats whose price they claim has been inflated.

The assembly spent about Sh240,000 to purchase each seat. The seats will be installed in the debating chambers in the coming days.

A number of the assembly’s staff and MCAs told The Standard on Thursday that the cost of the seats was inflated, with some of the ward representatives questioning the tendering process.

An MCA who is a member of the public investments committee said a formal complaint had been made to the county assembly speaker, Onyango Oloo.

“The quality of the seats has also surprised us but we are hoping the assembly leadership will explain to us if there is value for money,” said the MCA.

Kondele MCA Joachim Okech said the seats are “just ordinary” and could not have cost the amount quoted.

The seats will be installed in the debating chambers in the coming days. [Courtesy]

The assembly has announced plans to spend about Sh50 million to renovate six offices.

Last month, budget committee chairman, Steve Owiti, told The Standard that the money had been set aside in the assembly’s budget.

MCAs shot down a proposal by the assembly leadership to move staff to rented premises at a cost of about Sh9.6 million annually as their offices were renovated.

Plans to rent the premise were in their final stages. According to sources, a deal had been reached with the proprietors of a commercial building where the assembly was to rent two floors.

The offices of the majority leader, the speaker, the clerk and the Hansard team were to be moved to the building in the central business district next month.

The county’s social media platforms were alive with debate on the quality of the seats that the assembly has purchased for the MCAs.

Attempts to reach Mr Oloo failed.