Former Vihiga County Assembly Speaker Hasna Mudezi and assembly Clerk Ambaka Kilinga may soon face the law after dirty dealings at the Assembly were exposed. The dealings, sources say led to the loss of huge amounts of money belonging to the public. According to sources at the assembly, the two approved fictitious payments totaling Ksh. 135,922,905 for domestic travel and subsistence allowances to MCAs without following the due process.
Out of the Ksh.135,922,905, the source reveals that Ksh.2.1million was paid to the County Assembly Clerk in respect of the facilitation of daily subsistence allowance to 11 Members of the County Assembly and 10 secretariat staff of the ad-hoc committee to compile a report in Nairobi for eight 8 days between 2nd May and 11th June 2021.
It was revealed that the payment was made vide payment voucher no 001155 dated 6th May 2021 and the meeting is indicated as having been held at the Swiss Lenana Mount Hotel in Nairobi. However, the details of the ad-hoc committee and the report that was to be compiled were not disclosed and no reason was provided for not holding the meeting at the Assembly Offices or any other facility near the Assembly Offices.
In addition, there was no evidence indicating that the MCAs and staff acknowledged receipt of the funds and that they had even travelled to Nairobi to attend the meeting. Another payment of Ksh. 638,400 was made to an officer vide payment voucher number 00149 on 18th May 2021 in respect of the facilitation of daily subsistence to nine 9 Members of the County Assembly and seven 7 secretariat staff of an ad-hoc committee to compile a preliminary report of the collapsed county funeral parlour between 7th May, and 9th May 2021. However, the venue of the report writing was not stated, and no evidence was provided indicating that the MCAs and staff acknowledged receipt of the said facilitation.
Further, there was no evidence that the team moved out of the Assembly premises as motor vehicle work ticket No.N318167 for the vehicle alleged to have been used indicated that the vehicle was in the station during the three days in question. Another officer was paid Ksh. 210,000 being the imprest for facilitation for transport, internet bundle, a plug-in for cameras, video transmission, video editing and Salvation Army Band in respect of Bunge Mashinani (Public Participation).
The payment was made vide payment voucher No.00758 on 17th December 2020. According to the imprest request, the officer had requested an imprest of Ksh. 400,000 out of which Ksh. 210,000 was issued. However, the payment voucher did not indicate the activities for which the imprest of Ksh. 210,000 was approved. In addition, no reason was provided for issuing imprest through a payment voucher.
There is also no documentation in support of how the amount of Ksh.210, 000 was utilized. In the circumstances, the propriety of the expenditure of the money included in domestic travel and subsistence for the year ended 30th June 2021 could not be established.
