Kitui Governor Malombe fires five suspended officers over graft

Kitui County Governor Julius Malombe during a press conference at his office boardroom on May 20, 2016. Dr Malombe shocked said he regretted picking his deputy Penina Malonza as a running mate in 2013. PHOTO | THOMAS WAITA | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • On Friday, Governor Malombe told journalists at his office that there was amble proof to support corruption allegations against the suspended officers with the exception of Ms Muimi.

  • The County boss said the committee had not received sufficient evidence to substantiate the graft allegations facing the suspended Finance and Economic Planning Chief Officer.

  • The Governor said his office was forced to dismiss her because “the people of Kitui had expressed dissatisfaction in her service.”

Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has finally sacked five officers suspended in December last year over alleged graft and abuse of office.

Those dismissed include suspended County Lands Minister Eng Paul Kioko, County Secretary Musyoka Nyamai, Chief Officers Emma Kamene Kitemange (Youth, Gender and Sports), Grace Kavinya Muimi (Finance) and Deputy Director of Health Dr Evans Mumo Mwangangi.

This comes barely two days after a committee of enquiry tasked with probing corruption allegations levelled against the officers submitted to the Governor a report indicating that four of them were indeed culpable.

On Friday, Governor Malombe told journalists at his office that there was amble proof to support corruption allegations against the suspended officers with the exception of Ms Muimi.

The County boss said the committee had not received sufficient evidence to substantiate the graft allegations facing the suspended Finance and Economic Planning Chief Officer.

“It does not mean the officer was clean or innocent. There is also a possibility that she was shrewd enough to cover her tracks well or even have all evidence that might have incriminated her destroyed,” Dr Malombe said.

The Governor said his office was forced to dismiss her because “the people of Kitui had expressed dissatisfaction in her service.”

Dr Malombe bent to mounting pressure from a civil society organisation, Kitui County Youth, Civic and Trade Organisation, that had repeatedly demanded sacking of the five.

Some of the alleged acts of gross misconduct against some of the officers ranged from irregular alteration of documents to inflate costs of contracts, misuse of public property, demanding of bribes from contractors, incompetence, to awarding contracts to relatives.

Others were found culpable of engaging in unethical and immoral practices, publicly participating in political activities while on suspension, insubordination, and overpaying of contractors.

Dr Malombe said their service contracts with the county government of Kitui were terminated with immediate effect.

However, the county boss said a service gratuity of 31 per cent of their basic salary for every year they served would be paid to all sacked officers except Dr Mumo.

“His terms of service will determine the benefits, if any, that are due and payable to him since he was not serving on contract terms,” he noted.

Officers assigned to offices that were held by the sacked officials would continue doing so until the positions are filled.

Asked whether he feared those sacked would feel aggrieved and campaign against him in the 2017 General Elections, Governor Malombe expressed faith in the judgment of Kitui residents saying they are not foolish to give in to deception.

“The people of Kitui pressured me to act on corrupt officials and even helped to identify such elements in my government. It was in their best interest to have the officers dismissed to protect the wellbeing of their county.

“They know better than to listen to such people who did more harm to this county than good,” he stated.