A fraudulent plan by Kisumu governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o and county public service board CEO Hesbon Hongo to steal multi million shillings from the county coffers has been exposed. The governor is using Hongo, a charlatan who boasts of crude political connections and links with Kenyan tycoons to defraud Kisumu in his final term.
But Hongo is also out to blackmail Nyong’o who is hurriedly amassing wealth before he retires in 2027. The board CEO was dubiously secured his job during the reign of first Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma and has refused to vacate the office to serve interests of Nyong’o while his time has expired.
Concerned county workers have pushed for Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to establish Hongo why Hongo continues to stay in his position and abuse it at the same time. The workers are accusing him of illegally withdrawing of salaries and allowances but his term ended 5 years ago.
Governor Nyang’o is keeping him to executive corrupt dealings as the county boss also struggles to balance clan and political interests in recruitments to lucrative positions in Kisumu. The two are having regular secret dinner meetings lately at the governor’s Seme home where they fraudulently plan to plant Nyongo’s successor in 20227 and how preferred candidates in the recently advertised jobs for chief officers and directors will be selected.
Crooked Hongo has used the night meetings to secure his next job at the Kisumu County Revenue Authority which was recently established by Nyong’o’s administration before EACC uproots him from the public service board where his term has expired.
Nyong’o also chose to retain Hongo because they hail from the village in Seme Sub County. He prefers his village mate as the overseer of transition of staff from the previous administration of Ranguma. The two have compiled a harmonized list of preferred chief officers and directors that the governor has pushed him to work with.
Hongo was picked him from Chemelil sugar factory by Ranguma who cleaned him up and offered him a plum job at the County government but his list with Nyong’o has reduced the advertisement process as a matter of formality while those who have already been chosen for the jobs are known.
A damning expose of a recorded conversation between Hongo and Seme North MCA Millicent Omuya revealed how his meeting with Nyong’o concluded on the names to fill the positions.
Hongo only considers local politics and selfish interests over qualifications and the people. He bitterly campaigned against former majority leader Samuel Onyango Ong’ow as he drummed up for Elisha Oraro who became county assembly speaker through the help of Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader.
Hongo has turned his back on Ong’ow who introduced him to Ranguma and begged the former governor to pick him from the broke Chemilil sugar factory, to the lucrative position at the county government. He campaigned against Ong’ow and he continues to cut his business links to ensure his friend turned foe is down and broke.
Nyong’o is not a stranger to corruption despite his stellar performance as a public officer. The National Civil Society Congress demanded for his resignation as a minister over theft of millions of shillings meant for Nation Health Insurance Funds (NHIF).
The lobby group’s chairman Mr Maurice Odhiambo challenged President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to borrow a leaf from Tanzania where President Jakaya Kikwete fired six ministers over theft and poor performance.
Odhiambo revealed that the NHIF saga was a smokescreen for politicians to raise campaign funds through controversial firms like Clinix Healthcare Ltd.
“Clinix Healthcare Ltd is a sub-branch of Nairobi West Hospital which is a health service provider under the Parliamentary Service Commission Medical Scheme,” Odhiambo said.
Nyong’o was shielded from confusion by Odinga while the directors of Clinix were summoned to appear before the parliamentary committee on health for interrogation. Corrupt Nairobi businessman Jayesh Saini who owns Nairobi West Hospital was also questioned.
He used Clinix to syphon Sh92 million from NHIF for non-existent facilities under the capitation scheme and now wants to use and recruitment programmes to loot from county coffers and plant successors to clean or conceal the mess.
