Marsabit Governor Probed for Ksh.121M Graft: Fuel & Office Supplies
A group of leaders from Marsabit County has increased the demand for Governor Mohamud Ali to vindicate himself following his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal.
In recent days, Senator Mohammed Chute of Marsabit and Saku MP Dido Ali Rasso have alleged that the Governor has mishandled funds intended for county development initiatives.
Chute asserts that, during Ali’s tenure, the county has utilized a total of Ksh.121 million specifically for procuring fuel for county vehicles and purchasing office accessories. This spending is divided into Ksh.43 million for fuel and Ksh.81 million for office supplies.
The Senator also mentions that the head of the county has spent Ksh.640 million on providing aid materials, Ksh.122 million on monitoring water distribution, and an extra Ksh.32 million on managing waste disposal.
Even though there are claims of a lavish spending spree, Saku asserts that Marsabit County has no tangible results to display from it.
The initial instance the UDA Senator mentioned was when he attempts to highlight irregularities in the county’s spending or criticize Ali, the Governor’s associates brand him as a troublemaker and untruthful.
“What is wrong if I do my oversight role to flag corruption at the doors of Marsabit County government?” Chute posed.
The individual who is both a businessman and a politician also claimed that Ali’s administration has awarded multi-million shilling tenders to around 15 companies improperly linked with prominent county officials.
“It is quite a pity to see a huge list of companies owned by his close associates and his staff being awarded and paid a lot of money yet they have done nothing,” Chute lamented.
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The Senator has subsequently called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to swiftly investigate the allegations of corruption. This viewpoint has been similarly expressed by MP Rasso.
“People say I should not complain because I campaigned for the Governor, that’s true but it does not mean I should not positively criticize him. We are not going to take such graft allegations lightly,” said Rasso.
Governor Ali responded by dismissing the corruption allegations as absurd and deceptive. He also criticized the claims as baseless and untrue, and he even mentioned the possibility of taking legal action against Chute and Rasso for making defamatory statements.
“Some of these people making the loudest noise wished they supplied the county with various goods and services. Their bitterness is, I said no to corrupt dealings they wanted,” said Ali.
“I will not take lightly such unfounded allegations to taint my image, reputation and demeaning my persona. I’ve already directed lawyers to dispatch letters for possible legal actions.”
He mentioned that he attempted to communicate with Chute and Rasso afterward, but his efforts to initiate discussions were unsuccessful, an assertion that was rejected by the Saku MP.
After giving his reply, Governor Ali restructured his Executive branch, leading to modifications in the positions of County Executive Committee Members and Chief Officers.
Adan Guyo Kanano took over the position of CECM for Finance and Economic Planning, succeeding Malich Boru Wario in the recent updates.
Wario was then assigned the responsibility of heading the Water, Environment, and Natural Resources department in the role of CEC.
Chief Officers Anna Maria Denge and Samuela Lolokuru were also moved from their positions in the Transport, Roads, and Public Works department to roles within the Culture, Gender, and Social Services department.
Marsabit Governor Probed for Ksh.121M Graft: Fuel & Office Supplies
