Former senior officials, during Ezekiel Mutua’s governorship, at Machakos County are set to face EACC soon over corruption charges and fraud. There are several unaccounted-for car loans & mortgages. The officials are accused of inflating bursary figures and signing skewed agreements with banks for mortgages and car loans.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu flagged the anomalies in the financial year ending June 2021. She points to a possible collusion between the officials and bank insiders.
Ghost Bursaries
Wavinya Ndeti pointed out that the amounts lost could be higher. She said the mishaps were noticed during the monthly reconciliation exercise where the figures and amount in words on the disbursement cheques differed. A follow-up was made with the banks and beneficiaries where the inconsistencies were laid bare. 285 bursaries were distributed but 308 are documented to have been disbursed in Wamunyu ward. There were so many cases of unsupported bursary disbursements in the said period that were flagged.
Kshs 88M Unaccounted For
The Auditor-General also pointed out how 88M Shillings were said to have been disbursed, in the fiscal year ended 2020, as bursaries, yet there are no physical records of the students who benefited, amounts given, or the criteria used in awarding them. There’s also a skewed Memorandum of Understanding dated June 25, 2019, with SBM Bank, for the car loan & mortgage.
Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee Chairperson Godfrey Otsosi said they are directing the Ethics & Anti Corruption Agency (EACC) to swing into action and arrest the perpetrators citing it as a clear case of fraud.
Wavinya Ndeti said her administration was in the process of reviewing the County’s financials further. were are awaiting to see EACC’s actions in administering justice to the people of Machakos County who are facing losses in skewed deals between the banks and the county officials. More evidence is coming up at the courts where the accused people will also be mentioned.
