Bungoma Governor Lusaka denies Sh3.6M Christmas tree claim

Buongoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka. [File, Standard] 

Bungoma governor Kenneth Lusaka has distanced himself from claims that his administration spent Sh3.6 million on a Christmas tree lighting event in September 2019.

The Senate County Public Accounts Committee (CPAC) recently raised queries over the expenditure when Lusaka appeared before in Nairobi. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has also launched a probe into the matter.

The county chief claimed that the expenditure in question happened in 2019 when he was serving as the Senate Speaker.

He faulted PAC for pinning him down on something that happened when he was not the governor at the time, terming it a way to ruin his reputation.

“There was a mistake in the narration, the alleged Sh3.5 million, according to records, MCAs went to Mbale, Uganda, for benchmarking, and all have signatures. It was a mistake to say it was for the Christmas tree. However, I was not the governor when the alleged misappropriation happened,” Lusaka noted.

He further noted that during his two terms as a governor, he had never had a Christmas tree event. “I have never held Christmas tree events under my tenure as a governor since it was the defunct local authorities that used to host the mayor's tree ceremonies in the past."

He, however, said the matter is being investigated by EACC. "I encourage the investigations to continue so that we can know the truth because at times it could be propaganda, thus tarnishing names," Lusaka noted.

During a committee session, CPAC chairperson Moses Kajwang questioned how the county spent Sh3.6 million on lighting a Christmas tree months before December, saying the expenditure remained unaccounted for.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna also challenged the timing of the requisition, noting that the imprest was reportedly drawn on September 9 — about three months before Christmas — a discrepancy he said raised concerns about possible cover-ups and misuse of public funds.

Governor Lusaka sought to distance himself from the audit query, telling the committee the expenditure related to 2019 and urging members not to attribute it to him.

Former governor Wycliffe Wangamati was the governor at the time of the alleged misappropriation in question. The former governor has, however, also distanced himself from it.