By The Weekly Vision
Fresh details have emerged showing how former Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong was involved in the fraudulent purchase of cemetery a land at Maduwa village after the one in Mabale got filled up. Mr Ojaamong wa the governor of Busia County until 2022 having served for two terms.
Mr Ojaamong’s administration allegedly approved the expenditure and payment of Ksh.4m for the acquisition of a parcel of land measuring 3.32 hectares for use as a cemetery. However, a valuation report by the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning indicates that the land comprised 4 plots measuring only 0.2 hectares. Mr Ojaamong will be required to shed light on the contradictory information on the size of the land. It is also being claimed that by the time he was leaving office in August 2022, he failed to hand over the title deed for the land.
Another controversial project giving Mr Ojaamong sleepless nights is the irregular acquisition of a Fire Fighting Engine. Records indicate that his administration approved and paid Ksh.52m to a local supplier for the delivery of one firefighting vehicle. However, verification of the logbook indicated that the County Executive of Busia is the second (2nd) owner of the vehicle and that there was a previous first (1st) owner.
Investigations reveal that when the vehicle was purchased, it had a private registration before being transferred to the County Government registration number. This is contrary to Regulation 173(2) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020 which provides that motor vehicles, plant, equipment and related spare parts to be procured shall be new and meet the minimum standards set by the agency responsible for quality control and standardization.
Further, a market survey revealed that the cost of a similar and new fire-fighting engine is between Ksh.15m and Ksh.20m, why the county spent Ksh.52m on a second-hand fire engine will have to be explained. To make matters worse, investigations and physical verification of the firefighting vehicle revealed that the vehicle has been parked at the Governor’s office lying idle instead of offering the envisaged services. It is suspected the second-hand fire engine was already grounded and could not be used; the residents of Busia County did not receive value for money.
