33 MCAs pass motion to impeach Finance CECM in Nyamira

In Summary

• The motion was tabled by minority leader Hon. Reuben Minda Riechi,Magombo Ward MCA
• CECM Fincae was accused of failing to recover loans amounting to  Sh37 million which includes non-performing loans owed by serving and former 9 CECMs

33 MCAs of the Nyamira assembly on February 23 approved the impeachment motion of CECM Emily Ongaga (Finance, ICT, and Economic Planning)

The motion was tabled by Hon. Reuben Minda Riechi Minority Leader.

Among the allegations against her are errors in the financial statements, unsupported procurement of goods and services, unsupported pending bills, providing misleading information to the Controller of Budget on payment of suppliers, the appointment of an unqualified accounting officer to the County Public Service Board, discrimination and skewed payments of salary arrears, and sabotaging county finance operations.

Ms. Ongaga is accused of presiding over the procurement of goods and services without accounting for Kshs. 59,505,653, which has resulted in the plunder and loss of public resources, thus breaching Sections 48 (3) (b) and 106 (2) of the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act, 2015.

The Financial Statements also contain grave and glaring errors that resulted in an unexplained difference of Kshs. 36,344,574. The County Government had pending bills totaling Kshs. 285,421,626 as of June 30, 2020, and the validity and completeness of these pending bills could not be ascertained.

Furthermore, Ms. Ongaga is accused of providing misleading information to the Controller of Budget by submitting a requisition list for payment of suppliers but paying different suppliers made up of her friends and cronies once the Controller of Budget authorizes the release of funds to the County Revenue Fund Account.

She is also accused of abusing her office by unilaterally terminating the role of Authority To Incur Expenditure for one Ms. Anne Mwasi, CEO, Secretary to the County Public Service Board, and assigning the financial role to a junior officer, which is contrary to Section 58 of the County Governments Act, 2012.

Ms. Ongaga also allegedly discriminated against and skewed payments of salary arrears to herself, some of her colleagues in the County Executive Committee, and H.E. the Governor, without giving similar consideration to other employees of the County in disregard of the Fair Administrative Action. She also failed to implement the Nyamira County Assembly’s resolution for the establishment of the County Budget and Economic Forum.