“Today it is very sad that even ten years after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010, the taxpayers, investors and even savers have continued and continue to lose billions of shillings annually through entrenched corrupt cartels and personalities both in the public and private sectors and WEDIA is going to fight that to the bitter end ’’-WEDIA chairman Joseph Barasa
By Collins Wanzallah
The Western Development Initiative Association (WEDIA) is going to task the county, national and corporate institutions and their leaders over any gross mismanagement and pilfering of funds and resources entrusted into their care. The new WEDIA chairman Joseph Barasa declared war on institutions and leaders that will fail to be forensically accountable for the funds and resources under their management for public and shareholder or investors’ interests.
Mr Barasa said: “WEDIA is there to fight and protect the interests and lives of ordinary Kenyans from predators. What is theirs must remain theirs to the last coin, be it for development programmes, welfare, education, service provision and investments in the private sector.”
He continued: “Today it is very sad that even ten years after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2010, the taxpayers, investors and even savers have continued and continue to lose billions of shillings annually through entrenched corrupt cartels and personalities both in the public and private sectors and WEDIA is going to fight that to the bitter end.’’
Mr Joseph Barasa was elected chairman of the organization after serving for many years as its vice chairman at a General Meeting held at a Nairobi hotel. The meeting also saw the election of Aggrey Noah Okunyanyi as Secretary General, Moses Andati as Treasurer and Collins Kweyu as its Organising Secretary among other office bearers
Mr Barasa was speaking during the WEDIA Annual General Meeting at a Nairobi hotel where he was elected chairman of the organization after serving it for many years as its vocal vice chairman. The meeting also saw the election of Aggrey Noah Okunyanyi as Secretary General, Moses Andati as Treasurer and Collins Kweyu as its Organising Secretary among other office bearers.
He said that year after year the Auditor General documents how hundreds of billions of shillings go unaccounted for in through audits conducted in public institutions, government ministries, state corporations and other government-linked institutions but in most cases, no tangible action is taken and the cycle repeats itself year after year. “The same story is repeated year after year through audits conducted by reputable audit forms in the private sector in which lifetime savings by ordinary Kenyans running into hundreds of billions of shillings, is lost under highly questionable circumstances,” he said.
Supporting his Chairman’s sentiments, the Secretary-General Mr Okunyanyi urged President William Ruto to crack the whip immediately after the Auditor General releases her annual audit report so that the ordinary Kenyan can benefit from his tax money released by the national government for development and other purposes at the both national and county levels. He said: “As a matter of fact we kindly request President Ruto support our initiative even if there is the EACC, our work will go a long way since we have total faith and trust from the members of the public. We also want him to leave a legacy that no other President has ever done for this country since independence.”
Mr Okunyanyi said that for starters, WEDIA will focus on county governments and corporate institutions in the Western Kenya region as just phase one of a major national initiative that will change the lives of Kenyans. He also put on notice those sugar millers fond of exploiting cane farmers saying WEDIA shall not spare them either. “We shall work closely with our farmers especially those in the Sugarcane sector to ensure that they enjoy their sweat”, said Okunyanyi.
He said that WEDIA was also going to work with the relevant agencies to ensure that anything that belongs to the farmer and which had been grabbed is reverted to the rightful owners. He sighted cases such as properties under Mumias Outgrowers Company (MOCO) and Busia Outgrowers Company (BOCO) some of which had been grabbed by individuals
He also said there was a need to also revive the cotton industry in the region so that farmers can stop becoming over-dependent on Sugarcane. For decades WEDIA has established its reputation as a fighter of public interests, especially for small-scale farmers across the spectrum led by those in the troubled sugar industry, the Small to Medium Scale business community, education and many others.
