Munga’ro takes on Kingi over loss of Sh45m from county bank account

Jubilee politicians in Kilifi have challenged Governor Amason Kingi to take responsibility over corruption in his government following revelations that Sh45 million was stolen from the county’s bank account.

The politicians, led by Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, said corruption in the county government had reached “alarming levels".

He said the latest scandal involving the mysterious theft of the millions from the health department's account by people suspected to be county officials was an eye-opener.

Speaking at a fundraiser for women in Chakama, Magarini, the MPs challenged opposition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula to address and speak out about corruption in "Cord" counties with the "same vigour" they show in criticising graft in the national government.

“We want to see Raila [Odinga] and his team address corruption in these counties. They are busy attacking President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto over graft yet counties led by their governors are embezzling funds meant for residents,” Mr Mungaro said.

OFFICIALS SUSPENDED

This comes days after the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission, in collaboration with the banking anti-fraud unit, launched investigations into the loss of more than Sh30 million from the Kilifi County government account.

The move prompted the Kilifi County Assembly to form a special oversight committee to investigate the mysterious loss of Sh45 million.

County Secretary Owen Baya, county executive committee members John Kombe (finance), Salma Muhidin (education) and Rachael Musyoki (health) and Chief Officer Timothy Malingi have been lined up for grilling.

On Monday, Governor Kingi announced the suspension of 10 officials suspected to have been involved in the scam, to pave the way for investigations.

Preliminary investigations also reveal that 10 (IFMIS) passwords belonging to the suspended officers were used to steal money from the county treasury. It was wired to the accounts of at least five companies, according to Mr Baya.

At the Chakama function, Mr Mung’aro said Kilifi County receives Sh8 billion in its budget every year from the national government to fight the high poverty rates in semi-arid areas of Ganze and Magarini but there was nothing much to show for it.

“The solution is to change the corrupt leadership in the county government headed by Governor Amason Kingi to end the sequence of problems affecting our people,” he added at the meeting, where he donated 290 bales of maize flour to the drought-stricken residents.

KOMBE: WORK WITH NAIROBI

Mr Mung’aro urged residents to vote out corrupt leaders in the coming general election.

“I once told you that Governor Amason Kingi’s regime is corrupt and full of impunity, but you thought I was only doing politics. Now you can see it for yourself,” he said.

His sentiments were echoed by his Magarini counterpart Harrison Kombe, who said Mr Kingi is sleeping on his job and doing little to fight hunger and corruption.

“The Galana Kulalu project found in Kilifi and Tana River counties is as if it does not benefit residents of Kilifi County, since Tana River Governor Hussein Dado came to take everything,” he said.

Mr Kombe said Mr Kingi should follow Mr Dado’s example and work with the government to end hunger in the county.

“Cabinet secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution) and Mr Eugene Wamalwa (Water and Irrigation) signed an MoU with Mr Dado to end the water and hunger crisis in Tana River due to good relationship with the government,” he added.

Mr Mung’aro, was accompanied by assistant deputy county commissioner Boaz Koech, Watamu MCA Ibrahim Matumbo and his Sokoni counterpart Lawrence Kilabo.