Laikipia sex-for-jobs scandal: Governor Irungu suspends revenue board
Laikipia County Governor Joshua Irungu.
What you need to know:
- Some of the board members have recently come under heavy criticism for allegedly coercing job seekers into paying bribes and offering sexual favours to be considered for revenue collection jobs.
The Laikipia County Revenue Board has been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment and extortion of job seekers.
In issuing the order, Governor Joshua Irungu described the allegations against some members of the board as "concerning" and requiring thorough investigation.
"The revenue board stands suspended to pave way for a thorough and impartial investigation into the matter. These allegations are deeply concerning and run contrary to the values we hold in Laikipia County where the rule of law, human rights and integrity are of utmost importance," Mr Irungu told journalists at his office in Nanyuki town on Wednesday.
Some of the board members have recently come under heavy criticism for allegedly coercing job seekers into paying bribes and offering sexual favours to be considered for revenue collection jobs.
In September this year, the devolved unit advertised for 250 revenue collectors, attracting around 4,000 applicants.
Successful applicants were expected to start work on the one-year contracts on November 1, but the governor suspended the exercise after it emerged that some board members had used the opportunity to turn the exercise into a sex and bribery-for-work scandal.
On Tuesday, Laikipia residents demanded that investigations be carried out by relevant agencies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
And while announcing the suspension of the six-member board, Governor Irungu urged anyone with evidence against the board members to volunteer the information to his office in confidence.
"We urge anyone with pertinent information regarding these allegations to come forward. This is a critical time for us to uphold the principles, fairness, justice and respect for every individual," said the county boss.
Mr Irungu added that once investigations were completed, necessary action would be taken against the culprits in accordance with the law.
The governor assured residents that his administration would put in place necessary measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
At the same time, the county boss revealed that his administration had decided to extend the contracts of about 230 revenue collectors, meaning that only 20 new applicants would be selected for the job.
"We have resolved to extend the contract of the majority of our revenue collectors as they have performed well in their duties by increasing our annual own revenue collection to almost Sh1billion. Only 20 have been dismissed but the cabinet has made recommendations to raise the number of workers from 250 to 300, hence very soon we shall consider 50 others who had applied for the job," said Mr Irungu.
