Laikipia County Revenue Board is on the spot after some officials were accused of demanding sexual favours and bribes from potential employees seeking to be hired as revenue collectors.
Victims of this alleged extortion ring also claim they were asked to pay Sh80,000 to secure the limited vacancies. But still, some who gave in to the demands were left out when the final list of successful applicants was announced last month.
The board had in September advertised 250 vacancies following the expiry of the one-year contract for the cohorts hired in October last year.
Some workers whose contracts expired on October 31 were to be retained and they became easy targets for sexual predators and bribe seekers.
About 4,000 job seekers submitted their applications for the few slots, leading to high-level canvassing through influential people in the county government including revenue board members, County Executive Committee Members (CECM), Chief Officers, ward representatives, and individuals close to Governor Joshua Irungu.
The matter has now found its way to the Laikipia County Assembly where a motion to dissolve the entire board was moved.
The Labour, Social Welfare and Community Services Committee has reached out to the sex scandal and bribery victims and is currently compiling a report set to be tabled before the House on Tuesday (October 26).
“To end corruption and impunity in Laikipia County, the entire board should go home. To fight sexual harassment targeting innocent job seekers, the entire board should go home,” Thingithu MCA Stephen Ndiritu said when moving the motion on Friday.
Nominated MCA Leila Hussein in her contribution said even if there is one board member involved in the vice, it is only fair to have the entire board disbanded to protect the integrity of the institution.
“It is unfortunate that at this age, influential people in government are preying on young girls by demanding sexual favours for a one-year contract job whose monthly salary is below Sh20,000. These are sex pests who should not be spared. They must be dealt with ruthlessly,” said Ms Hussein, while calling on the House to ensure those who testify before the committee are protected.
The revenue board has three women and four men including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Currently, it does not have a chairperson after the previous one joined the County Public Service Board.
Successful applicants were to begin working on November 1, 2024, and had already attended a one-day induction course in Nyahururu Town but this was pushed to early December amid claims of corruption and undue influence in the entire exercise.
One individual close to the governor is reported to have secured vacancies of 50 people, all from one ward, something that did not go well with the county boss.
“It is the governor who ordered the delay in issuing appointment letters to successful applicants after learning the entire exercise was a fiasco.
"This mess is expected to have been sorted out by this week and by December there will be new revenue collectors,” said an official working at the county revenue department who cannot be named since he is not authorised to speak to the media.
The CECM in charge of Finance and County Planning Samuel Gachigi did not respond to phone calls and texts from Nation. The revenue board CEO Elijah Kamunya promised to respond to the queries but had not done so by press time.
The work of revenue collectors involves manning vehicle parkings, collecting cess, market fees, ensuring traders pay business permits among other revenue collecting duties.
