Mombasa governor Hassan Joho is on the spot over claims that his administration cannot account for a whopping Sh31.4 billion of public funds. A section of MCAs has written to EACC and DCI to probe the alleged embezzlement. The looted funds are for three financial years between July 2017 to July 2020. The amount includes Sh11.1 billion in 2017/18FY, Sh13.3 billion in 2018/19FY and Sh6.9 billion in the first nine months of 2019/20 fiscal year.
A month ago, an official from EACC in Mombasa was quoted as confirming receipt of the MCAs’ letter that has exposed underhand financial deals in the port city government. He said detectives were evaluating the corruption dossier before taking action on the culprits.
The MCAs who have declared war on corruption in the county government include Athuman Shebe (Jomvu Kuu), Fahad Kassim (Mjambere), Charles Kitula (Frere Town), Abrary Omar (Kongowea) and Robert Nyiro of Bamburi. The MCAs have lamented that in spite of the county government having received billions of shillings over the years, there was little to show on the ground in terms of development. A number of public projects indicated as having been started and completed only existed on paper, the MCAs claim. They accuse Joho of lacking transparency in the management and expenditure of county resources.
For instance, they say in 2017, the county allocated Sh214 million for construction of eight ECD centres but only four have been completed to date. Surprisingly, another budget of Sh117 million was allocated to furnish and equip the alleged eight ECDs in spite of the fact that only four ECDs were in existence. The MCAs want to know who pocketed the millions for the other four ghost ECDs. At the same time, Joho’s office was in 2016 allocated Sh89 million for refurbishment and change of furniture. Two years later in 2018, an additional Sh31 million was allocated for the refurbishment of the same governor’s office.
The MCAs say as a result of the massive allocations, they have not seen any changes at the governor’s office, apart from repainting yet Sh31million was already paid for unknown works. The MCAs have also alleged that funds were being looted through hospitality and entertainment allocations, claiming a whooping Sh1.3 billion had been spent and cannot be accounted for.
They have also disputed a claim that seven kilometres of road had been constructed in each of the 30 wards costing over Sh13 billion. Joho last month came into sharp focus when he and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed chartered a plane to visit ODM leader Raila Odinga who was receiving treatment in Dubai. Critics allege the plane was chartered at taxpayers’ expense at a time the country is reeling from the adverse effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Raila in their defence said in an interview no penny was paid for the plane. But Joho has not taken the graft accusations by the MCAs lying down. Last week, a contingent of Mombasa county government askaris in two lorries descended on a tree seedlings business on Links Road Nyali operated by the Kongowea MCA and destroyed it.
The Kongowea MCA is among those pushing EACC to take action against Joho. The askaris also allegedly beat up employees of the MCA who were at the site, in a move that elicited anger from area residents. But observers claim the Mombasa MCAs battle against Joho may not achieve much since he is “insulated by the handshake” and investigative agencies are allegedly not keen to touch him.
By Weekly Citizen.
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