- The 223-page document which was delivered by the deputy governor to the assembly last Friday is expected to be scrutinized by the members of the house's general oversight Committee.
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
Siaya deputy governor William Oduol's dossier to the county assembly of Siaya details how junior county staff were allegedly used as conduits by some top officers at the county treasury to loot millions of taxpayers' money through numerous withdrawals from the imprest account.
The 223-page document which was delivered by the deputy governor to the assembly last Friday is expected to be scrutinized by the members of the house's general oversight Committee.
To illustrate what he alleged in his earlier utterances that formed the basis upon which he was summoned by the MCAs, Oduol claims that days to the assumption of office in August, a total of Sh22 Million was allegedly withdrawn to fund the event but only Sh 3.9 million was actually spent.
In his dossier, the DG alleges that Sh17 million was stolen during their swearing-in ceremony and he wants the assembly to summon top leadership of the county treasury to explain how the missing millions meant for the event was utilized.
He says in the documents that he had earlier protested about the issue during a meeting attended by Governor James Orengo at the governor's boardroom but the matter was ignored.
To show how the imprest account is being abused to rob Siaya residents of money that were meant for them.
Oduol provided copies of bank statements showing how individual officers withdrew money multiple times, translating into millions of shillings which he says were used to fund nonexistent county activities.
For instance, he furnished the assembly with the names of two officers from the monitoring and evaluation and in the cash office who would withdraw between Sh800,000 to Sh900,000 each day multiple times from the imprest account held at a bank in Siaya town.
According to the bank statement presented to the assembly, a junior officer at the cash office whose name we have obtained but won't reveal because of legal reasons withdrew a total of Sh10.5 million from the imprest account between January 5th and 13th.
In December alone last year, the same officer withdrew over Sh40 million from the imprest account.
These transactions, according to the DG's dossier were suspicious since they were paid to an individual in the guise of funding county activities.
On January 5 alone, the officer went to the bank three times, withdrawing a total of Sh 2 million according to the documents seen by the Star.
The following day on January 6, the same officer again visited the bank three times and withdrew Sh2.4 million.
On January 11, the officer withdrew Sh2.8 million and on January 13, the same officer withdrew Sh1.3 million from the account which is supposed to be used for miscellaneous expenses.
"The huge amounts of money is moved from other accounts such development, retention, and PMC accounts and transferred to imprest account where payments are made to individual staffs who then hand over the money to county cartels," he says.
"Siaya County government has deliberately avoided putting a limit according to PFM Act on imprest utilisation which is a clear policy breach by the accounting officer. There must be a maximum amount an individual can receive as imprest," he says in the documents.
"It must be capped. But in this case, this rule is not applicable. Imprest is abused and is the avenue for stealing from the county coffers," Oduol states in the documents.
In one of the documents, the accounting officer, through a letter dated November 28 asked in charge of IFMIS to allow for the transfer of Sh21 million from the recurrent account to the imprest account.
And to back up his claims that top county staff viewed as his allies were being targeted, Oduol attached a letter from Governor James Orengo marked February 27 by the executive department where the governor thanked county secretary Joseph Ogutu for the services he had offered the county government of Siaya.
The letter notifies Ogutu that his notice of resignation letter dated 13 February has been received and acknowledged.
According to Oduol, Ogutu who also comes from the Alego Usonga constituency same as the DG had been forced to resign.
The DG further provided to the assembly, copies of the redeployment of some officers who are either from Alego Usonga or are his perceived allies whom he insisted were unfairly targeted.
And on his allegations that some people want him out of government, Oduol alleged that he was ejected from leaders meeting held in Siaya which was attended by Azimio leader Raila Odinga before he addressed the last Azimio's public baraza in Siaya town.
He claimed the governor ejected him from the said meeting.
He also provided letters of enforcement officers attached to his security whom he claims were redeployed following a disagreement between him and his boss.
" I don't have security. My chase car was also withdrawn on his (governor's) orders," he states.
Oduol was on Wednesday last week stopped from making an oral presentation before the members of the house's general oversight Committee chaired by speaker George Okode.
The speaker ruled that he had failed to furnish the assembly with documents he wished to rely on five days before his appearance.
The speaker directed the DG to present the documents to the assembly by Friday last week for perusal to ascertain authenticity.
Doing so, the speaker noted would allow the assembly to accord those adversely mentioned opportunities to respond before the committee makes a decision on when to invite him again.
On Monday Governor James Orengo, through his spokesman Ben Agina told Star they will respond to issues raised by his deputy once they get official communication from the assembly.
"We will respond to those issues once we have official communication from the assembly," Agina said on phone.