Garissa blows Sh19 million on Ali Korane's swearing-in

The team responsible for organising the swearing-in of new Garissa Governor Ali Korane used nearly Sh19 million in expenses and committee members allowances.

A detailed report shows that the swearing-in ceremony cost Sh11.5 million while the Assumption of Office Committee consumed Sh8.4 million in expenses.

The report dated September 22 further reveals that 22 committee members, their chairman and three non-civil servants spent Sh4,770, 000 in sitting allowances alone.

HUGE BUDGET

The report submitted to Devolution Cabinet Secretary and Planning Cabinet Mwangi Kiunjuri was also copied to Mr Korane and County Assembly clerk.

In the report, the committee indicated huge expenses for 'hiring media services', 'band services', 'provision of First Aid', 'event ushers', 'security services' and 'lodge services'.

The committee, according to their report, also paid for invitation cards, event organisers, and branding of T-shirts for event ushers.

Assumption of Office Committee also indicated that they spent Sh3.7 million during the writing of the budget report.

The team was established in July this year and its activities are by overseen by the national government through the Devolution and Planning ministry.

COMMITTEE

The mandate of the committee includes organising security for both the governor and deputy governor-elect, coordination of swearing-in ceremony of the leaders, among others.

The committee is chaired by Garissa County Secretary Mohamud Mursal and members of the committees are senior county and national government officials, including the county commissioner.

But Mr Mursal denied using Sh19million, saying their total expenditure was Sh4.7 million.

Flanked by some of the committee members, the chairman on Thursday said whatever was in the report was a budget estimate and that "they were too ambitious".

Mr Mursal said the committee are open to scrutiny and all relevant investigating agencies can access whatever they spent on the event of the swearing in of the governor.

"Whatever you saw in the report was the best budget the committee could have but the actual spending was Sh4.7million," he said.

He said they only received Sh 6million from Controller of Budget failed to give their final report, showing the Sh4.7 million expenditure when pushed by the Nation to give evidence to back his claims.

After the August 8 General Election, several governors across the country, including Nairobi's Mike Sonko, rejected huge budgets set aside for their swearing-in and directed that the funds be put for other development projects within their counties.