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After the expose and subsequent arrest of some Kwale County Officers over corruption allegations, further details have emerged of some contractors having been doing shoddy works while pocketing huge amounts of money that they later share with county officials.
As of Monday 2nd March 2024, detectives had narrowed down on several senior officials who have been on the corruption radar trail.
Information at our disposal has linked one Masoud Shughuli, Chief Officer Roads, Public Works Salim Nzimbu, Water Executive Committee Member Hamedi Mwabudzo, Finance Executive Committee Member Bakari Hassan Sebe, Roads and Public Works Committee member Joto Ali Mwachirumbi and Chief Officer Roads Hamisi Bweini Dzila.
This is in relation to the controversy surrounding the rehabilitation of Tiwin Market.
The officers are believed to have acted in total disregard to the PFM Act in the award of the tender with investigative agencies convinced millions of shillings were swindled.
Kwale County is among the counties that have allocated a lot of money to development projects as per the Controller of Budget but the investigative agencies are trailing the possible allocation of many funds to projects with little to show on the ground.
Some MCAs have confided to the writer that both the internal and external auditors have been compromised to write positive reports.
A section of the blames have also blamed Governor Fatuma Achani of intentionally ignoring some areas especially those that didn’t vote for her.
A senior MCA who did not want to be quoted said that they are considering impeaching some of the ‘sleeping’ executive members and later the governor.
“Yes she is doing a good job on roads and water connectivity but with a lot of tribalism and nepotism. Contractors are a big mess to us. Check the Matuga Lunguma-Mbuguni road and Kiteje it is neglected. Nothing is happening. The contractors even put fake signage.” He said
The irate members of the county assembly said that some projects also in Kinango, Mwaluphamba, Msambweni, Lunga Lunga have been neglected.
“Check even the busy Kwale Kinango-Tiribe road is completely neglected. That is where our national heritage on wildlife is located. She can’t even push the national government. She is a fake leader.” He added
This comes after the arrest of senior officers over corruption related to shoddy work being done by contractors despite the huge payments made to them.
EACC arrested five Kwale County Government officials including the Head of Treasury and his four brothers.
This was in connection with a staggering Ksh.44.9 million graft scandal allegedly involving the misuse of public funds within the Kwale County Government.
Vincent Chirima Mbito, serving as the Head of Treasury for Kwale County, stands accused of orchestrating the corrupt practices, with the purported involvement of his siblings.
Read also: How Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani, Officers and Contractors are Minting Millions in Shoddy Works
Those arrested also included Mongo Mbito Mongo, identified as the County Revenue Officer, Hassan Shilingi Mbito, a driver associated with the Kwale Water and Sewerage Company Limited, Mwaiwe Mongo Mbito, serving as the Kwale County Procurement Officer, and Chindoro Mongo Mbito, who is employed in the Ministry of Health’s Department of Public Health and Professional Standards.
According to reports, the Mbito family members are believed to have utilized a family-owned company to facilitate the embezzlement of public funds, implicating various sectors of the Kwale County Government in the process.
“The current charges relate to 10 contracts fraudulently awarded to the companies; Rome Investments and Chilongola Limited; which were paid exaggerated amounts Ksh.44,919,341 and Ksh.4,007,943 respectively. The total amount was distributed to the suspects,” said EACC.
According to the anti-graft body, the fraudulently awarded contracts were for the supply and delivery of sanitation materials, food and ration, general office supplies, and institutional appliances.