Ex-governor Lonyangapuo admits to irregular maize procurement to ‘save people from hunger’

Lonyangapuo told Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo that eight years ago, while serving as governor, he directly sourced for 20,000 bags of white maize due to prevailing circumstance at the time.

The court further heard that the governor convened a Cabinet meeting which approved the direct purchase of maize from the neighbouring TransNzoia county to save the starving families in West Pokot from losing their lives due to hunger.

Lonyangapou was testifying in a case where six senior senior officials among them a cereal trader who served under his rein are facing a Ksh.17 million maize scam case.

The accused include former County Secretary Mike Parklea, Solomon Mereng, Alice Chepkosgei, Joseph Lolamtumtum, Elvis Mwanga, Titus Mayech and the trader Margaret Tuitoek.

They committed the alleged offence between October 11,2017 and July 2018 in West Pokot County.

The accused who are out on bonds have since denied the graft related charges.

He said that he could not sit and watch as the people who put him in power die due to hunger just because he followed the long procurement process to source for relief food for them.

The former governor defended the move saying that it was wise to delay the payment and yet the suppliers had already delivered the consignment of maize to various depots of National Cereals and Produce  Board in the region pending distribution to the affected hunger stricken families.

The Magistrate ruled that the judgement will be delivered on July 23, 2025.