Governor James Orengo - Siaya County Treasury is "rotten"

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) are investigating the mysterious and possibly illegal withdrawal of Sh400 million from Saya County accounts over a matter of only a few days before the August 9 election.

Last week IEBC investigators descended on the county headquarters and questioned several officials regarding the sizeable withdrawals that took place over just 12 days running up to the election when it is alleged that some county officials received multiple payments in just one day.

Clerks received Sh112 Million

According to media briefing in Kisumu by Eric Ngumbi, the head of corporate affairs at the EACC, some Assembly clerks received Sh112 million in to their bank accounts directly from the Executive even though the Assembly has its own bank accounts.

“One individual”, Ngumbi said, “would receive Sh200,000 while another on Sh300,000. Investigation on the illegalities are ongoing to establish who did what exactly and who received what amount exactly”.

Detectives from the EACC raided the Siaya County treasury in an unannounced move to look for possibly incriminating documents relating to irregular payments for the period June 1 to September 30, 2022.

It is also alleged that the Executive moved Sh11 million to some Assembly clerks despite a ban by governor James Orengo on payments or allowances being paid pending Bills.

EACC Demands Documents

The Saturday Standard reported that Mr Mogare Oira, the EACC’s regional manager in charge of Western Region, ‘requested the office of the County Secretary to provide information and documents to facilitate their investigations’.

“To facilitate our expeditious investigations”, Oira was reported as saying, “on alleged corrupt conduct, abuse of office and irregular payments made between June 1, 2022 and September 30, 2022, provide us with original documents in regards to said payments”.

EACC officers also demanded cashbook excerpts, personal files in respect of the named individuals under investigation, and the moratorium issued by governor Orengo.

Last year the Directorate of Criminal Investigations looked into Sh600 million that went missing. 64 members of staff were questioned including the former Chief Finance officer Dennis Nyonje, the Finance Director Michael Ogolla and Dennis Simiyu, the cashier in the department.

According to the Daily Nation Governor James Orengo has admitted that Siaya County is “rotten”.