The County Assembly of Kericho has unanimously recommended the removal of the County Secretary and five other senior officials in the executive arm of government over mismanagement of Sh14.5 million raised by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua for the 77 victims of the Londiani horror accident.
The accident that occurred on June 30 claimed 53 lives and 24 others were injured, with three still undergoing treatment in hospital.
The Assembly adopted a report recommending that the three County Cabinet members—County Secretary Wesley Bor, County Executive (CEC) Member in charge of Finance and Economic Planning Leonard Ngetich and the CEC Health Services Brenda Bii—be fired.
Chief Officer in the Office of the Governor Alfonse Rotich, Chief Officer Public Service Management Bettsy Chebet Tonui and Chief Officer Finance Gilbert Bii are also set for the chopping board.
“The officers were found guilty of forgery, professional negligence, violation of procurement rules, abuse of office, misappropriation of funds and non-disclosure of information, failure to be transparent and accountable,” states the report.
Dr Bor was the chairman of the committee that oversaw the disbursement of the funds that is steeped in controversy in what has caused a storm and generated a lot of public interest.
Dr Bor and Mr Ngetich were found to have violated the Public Finance Management (PFM) Act, by allowing fundraising money to be held in a county account and presiding over its misuse.
They were also accused of authorising the withdrawal and use of money in a county donation account without proper minutes and approval by the County Assembly.
Dr Rop was accused of doctoring reports implying three CECs—Daniel Rop (ICT), Rosemary Rop (Water) and Judy Chirchir (ICT)—attended a meeting at the governor's boardroom that decided how the money would be disbursed.
The report tabled at the assembly chambers, which was attended by 20 out of the 47 members, was unanimously adopted. It was read by the adhoc Committee chairman Moses Rotich (Tendeno/ Soget MCA) and his Soliat counterpart Albert Kipkoech.
The committee chaired by Dr Bor only declared and budgeted for Sh13.6 million but also withheld information on the availability of Sh900,000 in the account at Equity Bank Kericho branch.
It emerged that only Sh4.6 million of the money raised by the Deputy President was released to the families of the victims while Sh10 million was channelled to allowances for the members of the committee, county and national government officials, and payments of tents, food and fuel for motor vehicles.
It was also discovered that the committee paid Sh405,000 for electricity at Londiani Sub-County Hospital mortuary instead of Sh13,000, where 49 bodies were preserved. Kenya Red Cross Society donated a mobile morgue to the county.
The report confirmed that the officers defied a directive by Governor Erick Mutai that all hospital bills will be waived by the county government and instead recommended payment of more than Sh3.5 million to Kericho County Referral Hospital and Londiani Sub-County Hospital where the victims were admitted and bodies reserved.
The committee members stated that there were records showing that County Commissioner Michael Lesimam directed that County Police Commander Geoffrey Mayek be paid Sh300,000 for facilitation of officers who participated in the rescue mission.
Reverend Joyce Tonui of the Kericho Africa Gospel Church (Emmanuel) returned Sh100,000 that had been paid as facilitation for pastors who took part in prayers at the fundraising event on July 4 at Londiani trading centre.
It also emerged that committee members paid out Sh157,000 allegedly for victims of a fire incident at Barsiele trading centre in Kipkelion East constituency whose hospital bills had been catered for by the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF).
The fire incident that occurred in June had no relation to the Londiani accident involving a Rwandese registered truck that was carrying cement to Uganda.
“I know I will be rebuked for standing firm with the victims of the Londiani accident. I am not afraid as they can impeach me. I will stand with the victims and deliver justice to them,” he said.
“I concur with the committee’s report and what is in the public that there was misappropriation of funds. It is sad people came from far and wide to raise funds only for 75 percent of it to go to the county officers and 25 percent to the victims.”
Mr Paul Chirchir (Kapsoit ward MCA) said “if they can lie about who prayed in a meeting to disburse the funds, wrote down names of CECs and forged their signatures, what else can they not do?”
“The Sh300,000 given to the national government officers, including the County Commissioner’s office and the police department, should immediately be reimbursed,” he added.
