Kenya's Most Authoritative Political Newspaper

Citizen Weekly

Sunday 30 November 2014

POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK AS KIBUGUCHY FAULTS OPARANYA

Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya has been accused of  reneging on his 2013 campaign pledges and putting in place financial policies that are non-beneficial to the residents.
The governor and his county administration are also accused of killing the principle of devolution by  centralising tendering and procurement services at his office instead of allowing the process be undertaken at the subcounties for easy monitoring purposes.  
Likuyani MP Enoch Kibunguchy, a former ally of Oparanya now turned ardent political critic further lashed out at Oparanya administration for denying locals a chance to benefit from the county funds and instead awarding contacts to ‘outsiders’.
He cited his Likuyani subcounty as the most affected where even small contract works had been awarded to traders from outside the area. He said most of the contractors came from as far as Kakamega town and neighbouring Bungoma county. He said the county government had denied locals a chance to do business with the county government.
He was speaking at Moi Girls High School Nangili in his constituency during the award of Uwezo Fund cheques to 100 beneficiary groups worthy Sh18.5milllion.
Our own investigations also showed that contract for construction of Matunda Market in Nzoia ward worthy over Sh30 million has been awarded to contractor from Wajir.
There are also unconfirmed claims that the county officials and MCAs could be the ones doing the contracts in their respective wards but through proxies.
Kibunguchy said there was need for the Kakamega county government to pass laws that would reverse the centralised procurement process by the county government which he said was denying locals the benefit of the devolution. He said funds meant for a given area must be allowed to circulate within that area.
On Oparanya campaign pledges, Kibunguchy  claimed that Oparanya had failed on all pledges two years down his rule. He said during his campaigns Oparanya had pledged to construct a maize mill at Likuyani, a dairy and the give one cow per household as a means of helping alleviate poverty among residents but up to now nothing has been forthcoming, lamented Kibunduchy.
The MP claimed that projects meant for Likuyani subcounty including the said unga mill and dairy project had been diverted to Malava subcounty, the home turf to  Kutima who is Kakamega deputy governor.
“What is the rationale of putting a maize mill in Malava which grows sugarcane and not maize and further, a dairy project in the same area which will end up being a white elephant just because it’s the home of  a senior politician at the county,” asked Kibunguchy. 
The legislator  said the subcounty had been shortchanged in health funds. He said the Sh70million promised for elevation of Likuyani subcounty hospital, Sh69million meant for Matunda Hospital and a further Sh5 million promised to Kongoni Health Facility had not been allocated despite promises by the governor in person.
The MP said he would ensure that the subcounty gets its share of resources from the county government including employment and allocation of other resources.
He said the subcounty roads were in a pathetic state, markets lacked basic facilities including water, toilets and stalls.
The MP has been lately embroiled in bitter fights with  reps from his constituency for allegedly failing to show how they spent the Sh11 million allocated to their wards.
Those who have had it rough with the MP are Timothy Mulanda, Timothy Ingosi and Timothy Tali. Likuyani subcounty deputy county commissioner John Ayienda  called on MCAs to exercise transparency by displaying  information on projects.

No comments:

Post a Comment