Busia County Government might be on the radar of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) yet again over payment of undelivered goods.
Claims have ermerged that Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong sanctioned payment of Ksh14 million to a local clearing agent to deliver digital medical equipment to the county from the Port of Mombasa.
According to the Auditor General’s report for 2016-17 Financial Year, it was revealed that the Sh10 million was paid when Dr. Maurice Siminyu and Dr. Asoka Itur were then executive member and chief officer in-charge of health department respectively.
Subsequently, health department according to the audit report never conducted a feasibility study on the viability and sustainability of the digital health project before it was initiated.
The money was to cater for supply, shipping, duty charges, Pharmacy and Poisons Board permit, Kenya Ports Authority and custom warehouse charges and transport from Mombasa to Amukura in Busia County.
The current Chief Officer for health Dr Isaac Omeri paid an additional Sh4 million in 2018 to have the equipment released to no avail.
The equipment donated by Samsung Company have not been delivered to Amukura Health Centre in Teso South constituency more than four years later and are believed to have disappeared.
The matter has put Ojaamong and his government in an awkward situation. The governor is currently facing a case related to corruption involving Sh8 million at the anti-graft court in Nairobi.
Members of the Health and Sanitation Committee chaired by Vincent Ojiambo of Bukhayo West Ward visited Mombasa to have a look at the digital equipment.
An MCA who was part of the delegation confided to Angaza News that they found just a basin and chair in the said container.
The members of the committee were then sponsored with trips to Ethiopia, Dubai, Uganda and Tanzania so that they sugarcoat the report.
Some members of the committee refused to go for the trips and insisted that they should tell in the report what they saw in Mombasa.
Efforts to reach the Assembly Health Committee chairman and the Chief Officer bore no fruits as both of them declined to speak to us despite numerous attempts through calls and text messages.
Sources say the County Government is doing all it can to make sure that the original report containing the facts on the ground is not tabled on the floor of the Assembly.
“The report is ready but the executive does not want it tabled because they know there are no equipment in Mombasa but public funds amounting Sh14m was spent,” an MCA said.
