Sonko behind my woes, MCA in bursary scandal probe says

Kitusuru MCA Alvin Palapala has come out to clear the air over his alleged involvement in the multi-million shilling 2018 City Hall bursary scandal.

This comes after he was named as one of the Nairobi MCAs who have been under investigation over the scandal.

The MCA decried the timing of the case, saying that it is aimed at intimidating county legislators who support impeachment of Governor Mike Sonko.

He said that the revival of the bursary saga, which happened in 2018, is only meant to intimidate him because he signed the impeachment motion.

SONKO

The second time MCA said that his woes started when he questioned Sonko’s frequent reshuffling, suspension and sacking of county staff, occasioning a falling-out.

“This is a war between me and Sonko that started in 2018. He is trying to intimidate me because I signed his impeachment motion and having called him out for constantly reshuffling his cabinet. Let him come out clearly and show me where I signed any bursary cheque,” said Mr Palapala.

The MCA alleged malice in the bursary scandal case, saying if indeed he was involved in pilferage of the funds, then he should already be in court.

“The governor took me to EACC (Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission) in 2018, investigations were done but when the file was taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), it was taken back as it needed more clarification and ever since then I have not been arraigned,” he said.

FRAUD CASE

Mr Palapala, together with his wife Tabitha Saidi Luchesa as well as James Momita, an accountant and officer in charge of bursaries at City Hall, have been accused of conspiracy to defraud and an attempt to obtain money by pretence.

They have been accused of changing the names of cheque payees from bona fide beneficiaries to those of their relatives as well as their own personal bank accounts.

The documents revealed that at one time, NR Talvo Limited, a company associated with Mr Palapala and his wife, received Sh20,000 from the bursary fund.

Another Sh100,000 was received by Ms Luchesa through Kobudho Educational Centre on August 13, 2018.

The probe started when Governor Sonko wrote to the DCI and the EACC detailing the extent of the plunder that had been taking place in the county.

In one of the letters dated August 14, 2018 Sonko called for investigations into fraud claims in bursary disbursement in the county government.

According to the governor, some firms and institutions disguising themselves as schools have been siphoning millions of shillings from the bursary fund.