Revealed: Embu County diverted Ksh.10M development funds to boda boda event

The Embu County government reportedly diverted Ksh.10 million meant for development to fund a political gathering to empower boda boda riders.

In the shocking revelation, the Senate Public Accounts committee heard that the money meant to fund the county aggregated industrial park was instead used to fund the boda boda function attended by Deputy President Kithure Kindiki.

The Senators wondered why the county administration was illegally withdrawing money to fund a political programme while neglecting the construction of the industrial park that would be beneficial to residents.

“We had what we were calling a boda boda summit where we were launching boda boda Saccos and we didn’t have the money, yet we had already promised that we were going to give the Saccos some money, and so we used the money to give the boda boda Saccos,” Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire told the committee.

Members of the committee, led by Chairperson Moses Kajwang, were taken aback by the Governor’s admission, decrying how county bosses are continuously breaking the law and using public funds illegally.

“What is worse between the funding of a boda boda function and the admission by Vihiga County that they raided the accounts to finance a house warming? I think this one is worse, it’s upon us to make our recommendations now,” Kajwang said.

“Such borrowing can’t be accepted, especially if that money came from the Senate, it was an illegality and we must make that determination as such.”

The committee indicated that the Governor and the concerned officers should be surcharged for engaging in an illegality.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna said the county must be severely punished for engaging in an illegality knowingly.

“There must be a difference between a person who breaks the law unknowingly…these are criminals from Embu who broke the law knowingly, they deserve a much severe punishment,” said Sifuna.

However, Governor Mbarire defended herself and pleaded for leniency from the Senate saying it was the first time such an illegality was taking place.

“It’s the first time we did it in Embu County, we did it under immense pressure and I want to promise we will never do it again,” she pleaded.