South Mugirango Constituency MP Hon Sylvanus Osoro a devoted member of the Tangatanga movement allied to Deputy President William Ruto (pictured) is having a rough time.
The MP, who is accused of misusing Constituency Development Fund resources, is in the eye of another storm. The MP is said to have recently coerced staff of the CDF management committee to sign a blank cheque that he used to withdraw money from the accounts.
It is not clear why he decided to dip his hands in the public coffers, however, there are claims the MP is broke. He recently came under fire for allegedly ‘eating’ cash donations to some of his constituents. Locals now want anti-graft detectives to be more alert and probe financial improprieties associated with the lawmaker.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has been asked to probe how South Mugirango constituency has been utilising funds allocated for CDF.
A resident of Nyamarambe Township has petitioned the anti-graft agency to probe claims of irregularities in the purchase of dozens of buses for schools using National Government Constituency Development Fund.
The resident also wants the commission to probe if there has been an illegal award of a lucrative tender for training of boda boda riders.
He has asked the investigators to probe and decide if the claims meet the threshold for further action.
According to the petition received at EACC headquarters on August 24, the complainant wants the agency to investigate a Sh10 million tender awarded to a driving school and establish if the process was competitive.
He also wants EACC to probe if there has been undue pressure in the award of CDF tenders for the construction of classrooms, social halls and school latrines. He wants EACC to investigate if the constituency has been constructing classrooms at inflated costs.
The commission has also been asked to probe if the tenders are controlled by a firm associated with some of those tasked with managing the fund.
The petitioner also wants the commission to investigate if buses acquired through CDF were bought at inflated costs.
“The buses are scrap bought and fabricated to look like new buses after painting,” he says, adding that most of the buses that have been acquired do not meet the Education ministry’s safety standards for learners.
According to the petition, the buses have been bought at Sh10 million despite most of them having low-carrying capacity.
The MP’s conduct especially in matters of projects development across the constituency has exposed his scheme to allegedly mint millions of shillings through kickbacks from contractors close to him, and his close associates.
The lawmaker is said to be fronting Sitycon Limited, a construction company associated to his relatives, to win plum tenders to construct roads and classrooms across the constituency. According to documents, the company has George Kengere Onyiego, a brother of the MP and Mochari Mogaka as directors.
The firm has been winning tenders despite a clear conflict of interest which bars MPs from fronting their companies or those of their relatives to bid for NG-CDF works. The company is accused of doing shoddy work but ends up being prioritised even in terms of payment, because of the MP’s close link. A social hall structure at Tabaka market done by Sitycon is said to be on the verge of collapse due to poor workmanship, despite the firm having been paid a total sum of Sh1.6 million in advance payment.
At Bogichoncho, the same company was awarded a plum tender to put up a structure at an exorbitant cost of Sh1.3 million. The residents have complained that the building does not meet the necessary technical specifications to guarantee safety measures, despite the contractor having been already issued with a certificate of completion even before the structure is finally finished.
An avid supporter of the DP, it is unsurprising that he’s entangled in his own set of corrupt deals. “There is war against corruption and war against Ruto’s 2022 bid. What we are seeing now is a fight against the DP’s 2022 bid.” He once said.
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