Embu county governor Martin Wambora and his key allies have been linked to suspicious 19 secret bank accounts that have been used to loot millions.
According to assembly public accounts and investment committee report on the findings of the Auditor General, the county executive for the year ended June 30 2017, the devolved unit operated 19 main bank accounts with a total balance of Sh518,995,353 and 56 Danish International Development Agency Health facilities accounts with a total balance of Sh1,441,558 all totaling to Sh521,436,911.
According to the committee’s chairman Phillip Nzangi report, accounts were opened and operated against Section 82 of the public finance management regulations (county government) 2015 Act. Nzangi who is the Makima MCA report reveals existence of two revenue accounts at the Runyenjes Level Four Hospital, being operated by strangers since the said signatories had been moved to other departments and/or counties and no changes had been made against the signatories.
The signatories, one said to be an in-law to Wambora, had made unexplained and unsupported withdrawals from the accounts amounting to Sh34,751,498 and Sh11,508,452. It has been established that George Muthinji, the hospital administrator was also the banking agent for the two bank accounts whose only duty was to access the bank statements.
Other suspicious accounts are Runyenjes District Hospital accounts numbers; 0114148462201 and 0114148462200.Bank balances show that two accounts: 0114148462201 and 0114148462200 had credit balances of Sh554,289 and Sh15,814,210 as at July 24 2019. The money was not declared to the county government.
Implicated in the scam are former health accountant Ruth Ndirangu, former medical superintendent Anthony Mulu, former county director of finance Edwin Rugendo, former director for health administration Anthony Mugendi and former health accountant Musalia Eric.
The above are still signatories to the accounts.
Also unearthed is the move by county executive to transfer Sh25,700,000 from Embu county treasury to Embu Youth Trust Fund account (0190264375530) at Equity Bank Embu branch comprising of Sh15,800,000 and Sh9,900,000 transferred on November 9 2016 and April 30 2017 respectively.
It has also emerged, Sh170, 517,265 was transferred to Embu county education support fund account number 01141408639900 held at Embu branch in respect to scholarship and bursaries.
There was an unspent balance of Sh10,821,866 in the account. Another scandal involves tree seedlings procured by the county government at a whopping Sh17.5 million in the 2016/2017 financial year.
The real money used was Sh17.5m on the supply of tree seedlings procured from Kenya Forest Services on March 13 2017. From the deal, the budgeted provision for procurement of certified seeds was Sh14,499,856, with expenditure going at Sh17.5 million resulting in an unapproved overexpenditure of Sh3,000,144.
Originally published by Citizen Weekly
