Day of drama for CS and Machakos finance chiefs

By The Anchor Writer

Machakos, Kenya - Drama unfolded today as police arrested Machakos County Finance  Chief Officer, sending the finance minister and county secretary into hiding.

         Mr Kasanga put on oath

The officials are sought over were a High Court warrant for their refusal to pay Kes 200m decree. When the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Machakos Police Station Chief inspector Chumo stormed the county headquarters  he swiftly grabbed the finance chief officer Julius Kasanga.

The arrest also targeted Finance Minister Onesmus Kuyu and Chief and County Secretary Muiya Ndambuki.

When word went round of their impending arrest, the two bosses took cover and Chumo nevertheless left with his catch and presented him before the Employment and Labour Relations Presiding judge Bryan Ongaya.

          Mr.Justice Bryan Ongaya

The officials  have evaded arrest and failed to honour the decree issued in 2021 following the illegal termination of 125 workers under Governor Alfred Mutua. 

The county has since engaged the workers and the court in a cat and mouse game, with the current officials perfecting the games until this morning when Chief Inspector Chumo marched on their offices to effect the arrests.  When Kasanga was presented before the judge, he was put on oath, binding him to tell the 'Court nothing but the truth.' He was hard pressed to specifically explain why the court decree, which he confirmed to be aware of, had not been executed.

He could neither confirm if a budgetary provision had been made to off set it together with the county's old debts to the tune of Kes. 3.2b.

The judge could neither agree to the classification of the debt as an old debt.

Justice Ongaya gave five fresh orders over the matter. First, he stayed the arrest warrant for Dr. Ndambuki and Mr Kuyu, subject to their voluntary attendance to the court on October 25,2024 at 9.30 am. " ...in default, the stay order will lapse and the Warrant of Arrest would be excuted.

Secondly, Kasanga was ordered released upon a personal undertaking to attend court on October 25, at 9.30 am or thereafter. 

The judge ordered the three officials, their counsel and that of the 125 claimants to convene in 10 days' to conclude on an agreement  on settlement of the decretal sum and same be filed  in court on September 1,2024 as may be appropriate'.

Judge Ongaya set October 25 as day of further proceedings and recording of the agreement.

As for the OCS, the judge discharged him " unless the stay order in respect to Warrant of Arrest lapses in terms of today's order'.

Observers see as a positive step the decision of the court to assert itself in the face of the county's monumental failure to honour its obligations to staff and the general public.

County Governments are set up in perpetual succession of the other such that the present regime is obligated to undertake responsibilities left behind be their predecessors- including assets and liabilities.

As the County administration faces increased scrutiny with the looming deadline to compensate the workers, it is hoped that the decree is a warning to the present regime as it plans to dismiss another 121 workers for alleged fake papers.

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Probing Ndeti's bloated regime

 

Why Machakos requires a
leaner, effective government

By Martin Masai,

EDITOR/ PUBLISHER

At a time when the country is ravaged by demonstrations as Generation Zoomers demand more accountability and better governance from President William Ruto, it cannot be business as usual for Governor Wavinya Ndeti. In a government with 11 departments, the governor has  appointed over 33 Chief Officers, with some departments having more that three Chief Officers- doing work that would have been done by a single officer.

The following is how the government is structured:

1. Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperative Development,
2. Lands, Physical Planning, Housing, Urban Development and Energy,
3. Water, Irrigation, Environment, Sanitation & Climate Change,
4. Finance, Economic Planning, Revenue Management and ICT,
5. Devolution,
6. Gender, Youth, Sports and Social Welfare,
7. Health Services,
8. Transport, Roads and Public Works,
9. Trade, Industry, Tourism and Innovation,
10. Education
11. Office of the Governor

 At inception, the Wavinya government had the following Departmnts- each with a Chief Officer.1. Machogu Ian Obare(ICT & Infrastructure), 2.   Mutua Mercy Ndululu(County Administration and Decentralized Units),3.   Mutunga Zipporah Kavata(Climate Change),4.   Musyoki Winnie Ndunge(Small and Medium Enterprise Development)5.   Muendo Vincent Musili(Agriculture and Food Security)6.   Mulei Stephen Kyalo (Vocational Training)7.   Simba Simon Mwako(Public Health)8.   Ngumbau Mutiso Benedict(Sports), 10. Mutua Tobias Mutuku(Economic Planning),11. Muraguri Simon Kirima(Energy),12. Mike Jace(Revenue Management)13. Capt. Muiya Andrew Mwema(Environment) 14. Mutinda Charles Kyalo(Office of the Governor), 15. Kinyae Bruce Isika(Public Participation, Citizen Engagement and Customer Service), 16. Mutunga Anthony Mutuku(Cooperative Development),17. Kioko Bernice Mueni(Tourism & Culture),18. Kasivu Justus Musau(Transport and Roads) 19. Sheikh Ifrah Abdi( Digital Economy), 20. Mwanza Lawrence Maingi( Public Service and Performance Management), 21. Kala Mohammed Rashid(Health Facilities and Infrastructure Development), 22. Mulwa Albert Katumo(Livestock and Fisheries Development),23. Bernadette Kyany’a(Citizen Management and Customer Care) 24. Papaa Koin Lompo(Lands), 25. Maingi Maureen Mwende(ECDE) 26. CPA Guliye Abdullahi Yunis(Chief Officer - Water and Irrigation), 27. Col. (Rtd.) Gedion Mbithi Wathi(Inspectorate, Fire Fighting and Emergency Services) 28. Kituku Benson Metho(Public Works) 29. Kitheka Simeon Kioko(Trade and External Relations) 30. Miyienda Wycliffe MD(Medical Services),31. Adipo Collins Otieno(Urban Development and Housing), 32. Munyao Joseph Mutwiw’a(Industry and Innovation), 33. Kasanga Julius Muindi(Finance),34  Mule Daniel Lemba(Public Communication and e-Government)

Kiambu County Government for instance, Governor Kimani wa Matangi has appointed 9 ministers in his cabinet. To support them, the Kiambu governor split each department into two and recruited 20 Chief Officers. Nairobi County has 31 Chief Officers while Makueni has 16 COs , Kitui has 26 while Kisumu County has 12 while Mombasa County has 15.

So why 33 Chief Officers for Machakos? What is so special with Machakos?. While the law sets the number of Ministers- officially known as County Executive Committee Members(CECM), it is silent on the number of COs that the governor may appoint.

It is at this point that prudent decision making for the County Chief comes into play. The English dictionary explains prudent to mean practical, sensible, judicious, wise, careful, cautious or far sighted- in as far as decision making is concerned.

In a county that is water deficient, needy to alleviate poverty, maintain critical infrastructure such as roads, ECD  classes, hospitals, dispensaries, a perennial food deficit, a teaming army of unemployed youth, what would the priorities be in the deployment of the meagre cash resource? Where is the sense or wisdom, if at all  is there any measure of care, caution of far sightedness on the part of the governor  in these appointments? Is there PRUDENT MANAGEMENT of public resources in the appointments of 33 COs?

Investigations by The Anchor show that Salaries Scales and Grades allowed by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission provide that each Chief Officer be paid Kes133,870, plus Kes 52,000 for House and  Kes 20,000 for Commuter allowance. 

It means that each of Ndeti's COs earns a gross salary of Kes 205,870. Machakos has a team of 33 of them. It means that the county forks out Kes 6,793,710 each month to pay them. and Kes 81,524,520 annually. In 5 years, the 33 officers will have consumed Kes 407,622,600 or close to Half a billion shillings.

In the Kiambu scenario- a county that generates more revenue than Machakos,20 Chief Officers cumulatively take home Kes 4,117,400 each month. The cited counties- Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu are better endowed than Machakos. Kitui and Makueni can therefore be said to have made a PRUDENT decision in the appointment of their Chief Officers.

Those who work in government know that salaries are a mere fraction of a civil servant's earning. They take home triple this amount in allowances such as Daily Subsistence Allowance and other attendant perks which can be accrued with every assignment, including other fake ones

So how much can the roughly half a billion shillings do for a county that is struggling to raise revenue to meet its development objectives?

The population of COs in the Government of Machakos County is just one example of the gravy train that Machakos County Government has become as the officials carry home the county's cash each day and month. 

Sadly, the Chief Officers may not be the only cabal of men and women who earn in a wasteful spree in the county. There is another lot of Governor' Advisors and other well connected people, including family members who earn while at home! The Anchor with tackle this in coming days. Our enquiries indicate there are hundreds of other officials hired by Wavinya who earn salaries they ought not to earn- and they will do so until after she leaves office.

A quick comparison with the previous administration of Dr. Alfred Mutua shows his 10 ministers were supported by only 16 Chief Officers. In his second term, Mutua raised the number to 23. Observers still see a difference in terms of what Mutua delivered then and the drama of non delivery within the current administration.

Analysts see the variance as a statement of the objectives of the two administrations- one keen on using the limited results for maximum output and the other using the same resources to feed officials, rather than deploy the resources for the good of the people.

It is manifested by a good two years of making touches on Mutua's key projects including dams- including substituting Dr Mutua's pictures with those of Governor Wavinya in virtually all projects. The best example is the flooring of Boda Boda and bus stops that Dr Mutua built which has just been concluded- and not initiating a single major project since she was elected.

Efforts to obtain a comment from the governor were not successful. She neither responded to phone calls to her number nor responded to WhatsApp messages.

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Impunity marks official's rise to capture the CPSB

By The Anchor Writer

The recent dismissal of Lawrence Nzau Ngovi as Chief of Staff has exposed deeper issues within Governor Wavinya Ndeti's administration, highlighting ongoing power struggles and corrupt, bad governance actions.

        Ms. Juliana Mutisya

Ngovi's removal follows months of infighting, with  the County Secretary Dr. Ndambuki Muya and Finance Minister Muia  Kuyu reportedly at odds with Ngovi. Accusations that Ngovi leaked sensitive information about alleged deals involving the Governor and her son, Charles Nzuki Oduwole, have fueled these conflicts.

One significant case illustrating the turmoil involves one  Juliana Ndunge-Mutisya, a Deputy Director of Administration who is swiftly rising through the ranks, thanks to unlawful acts of Dr. Ndambuki.

On June 26, 2023, the County Secretary deployed Juliana from her role as Deputy Director of Administration to the County Public Service Board. The move has created turmoil at the board, making it the newest battleground in the county government.

The CPSB is an autonomous entity of the county, complete with its Chairman and Commissioners approved by the County Assembly. 

By law, the CPSB recruits and appoints its staff and those of the county government, including the County Secretary, so there is no cirmustance where a CS can transfer, dismiss or appoint anyone to the board. 

Upon landing at the board, without any board resolution, the next day, the CPSB Chairman Mr Albanas Mutisya appointed her as Acting CEO to the Board, a position she holds with additional allowances. She was to act for six months but is still in office past the stipulated time and shooting from the hip!.

She was instantly upgraded from Job Group Q to R. Mutisya also granted her an Acting Allowance- 20 percent of her basic salary until a board Secretary is recruited.

In January 2024, Dr. Ndambuki renewed Juliana's contract, indicating her continued prominence within the county's administration.

Sources reveal that Juliana is being groomed for the CEO's role at the Public Service Board, despite not meeting a crucial qualification: applicants must not be current public officers.

Insiders say Juliana is most likely going to emerge top among those shortlisted as the Selection Panel is likely to overlook factors set by the law that lock her out of contestation.

She was among officials dismissed from the National Gender and Equality Commission(NGEC) for falsifying board minutes, though she was later reinstated by the court.

This maneuvering suggests a broader effort to control the County Public Service Board.

Since Juliana's arrival at the CPSB, approximately 1,000 new staff members have been employed without interviews being conducted. 

Most of those employed retirees, illiterate and individuals without basic education credentials. The Anchor is gathering data on names and source of names for those recruited.

As this unfolded, the CS moved 20 employees of the board and subsequently placed them on leave, raising concerns about the board's independence and the integrity of employment practices in the county.

This comes as Senior Revenue Officers remain unassigned for months, after action sanctioned by Mr Kuyu, yet the Controller of Budget is warning that the county may not meet its projected revenue targets after missing them since taking office 22 months ago.

The trend has sent panic across the county public service, sending productivity to the lowest levels ever at a time when county residents are demanding more in terms of development from Governor Wavinya Ndeti. 

What stands out is the level of procrastination in the Wavinya administration. While Ndambuki has ordered action against 122 county workers alleged to have dubious papers, Juliana has been signing off appointments of hundreds of staff who are never interviewed, some octogenarians and many more being paid while at home!.

Critics argue that these claims distract the county from more pressing issues, such as the reported hiring of retirees and unqualified individuals, while thousands of young, qualified job seekers in Machakos remain unemployed.

The Machakos County government faces mounting pressure to address prudent deployment of county resources and restore trust in its leadership. Citizens are increasingly frustrated by the lack of transparency and accountability in virtually every action.

Efforts to obtain comments from the county government have been fruitless. 

Nevertheless, The Anchor will continue to provide updates.

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Update: Ngovi's final ordeal

By Martin Masai

The final hours of the dismissed Machakos Chief of Staff Lawrence Ngovi  can now be revealed.

              Mr Ngovi 

He reported to the second floor office at White House as usual. It was a day of great anticipation for him since he was coming face to face with Governor Wavinya Ndeti for the first time in over one month.

It would also be the first time for them to meet face to face after a noisy telephone conversation where the governor accused him of leaking crucial information. Ngovi, his escort, and driver did not know that it would be their last trip there.

A cabinet meeting - the first physical one  in almost  two months, had been scheduled, and vibrancy could be seen in the precincts of White House and tension was pulpable as staff kept peeping outside whenever a vehicle pulled into the foyer.

The governor arrived in good time for the meeting, escorted by her chase cars.

At 2 p.m., the meeting was called to order. A raft of deliberations and reports were tabled and discussed. As usual, the Chief of Staff sat throughout the meeting, occasionally exchanging salutations with ministers who had all this time concealed any indications of impending Dooms Day for Wavinya's disgraced Mr Fix It.

As business on agenda was being concluded, Ngovi had no idea that the cabinet room would turn to a slaughter house for him.

His matter was brought in under Any Other Business( AOB). It was introduced by the County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki, and it sounded like a casual discussion. It centred on conversations between Ngovi and other members of the county government.

It was alleged that Ngovi's discussions showed that he had become disloyal to the governor. Media reports on the governor's personal investments were cited as cases of sensitive leaked information that was portraying the governor in negative light. No evidence was tabled to link Ngovi to the alleged leaks.

Specifically, it was alleged that Ngovi once told the Chairman of the Public Service Board Urbanus Mutisya that he would not support Governor Wavinya in 2027.

A call was dramatically placed to Mr Mutisya by the governor and put on speaker. Mutisya was not warned that the cabinet was listening to him. He confirmed that he once had such a conversation with Ngovi.

Another claim came through the Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi to the effect that Ngovi allegedly promised the DG some Kes 200m to stand as governor in 2027 "because Wavinya stands no chance of winning any other election."

Sources told The Anchor that the issue of the demontrations in Mitaboni was raised. Ngovi is falsely claimed to have organised the protest  revolving around the alleged incompetence of a Ward Administrator named Noor. It is alleged that the local MCA, who is a cousin to Ngovi, had incited locals to demonstrate to embarass the governor.

The issue of the employment of hundreds of new county staff across the government, mostly retirees, illiterate, and always absent from work, is a thorny issue and will certainly explode in the coming days. Watch this space.

Our sources say Ngovi was not given a chance to respond, even verbally. That Ngovi was given marching orders after a Kangaroo trial is a statement of impunity, arrogance and a don't care- kesi baadaye attitude, coming at a time that the country is restive about bad governance in the national government. 

It creates a fertile ground for court action for unlawful, unfair action - his alleged sins notwithstanding, leading to waste of public resources.

Health Minister Daniel Yumbya, who arrived at the meeting at this stage,together with the DG, appeared keen to end the matter there, our sources say. 

Yumbya then told Ngovi to leave the meeting to allow the cabinet to discuss the matter. Wavinya remained studiously quiet as her COS was led to golgotha. He rose, glanced at her as she avoided eyeballing him.

She did not intervene to even give her staff number 1 a chance to respond or even remain in the room to witness his own slaughter in the cabinet room.

As soon as Ngovi left, the cabinet resolved to abruptly end his tenure. Not a single soul among the governor's "wisemen" raised a voice on the need to grant Ngovi a fair hearing.

Dr. Ndambuki then left the room to execute the verdict.  With support from staff at Wavinya's office, the CS, who is head of the County Public Service and is, in his own right a ex university don, swiftly drafted the dismissal letter, together with the press statement, announcing the kill. 

The CS then withdrew Ngovi's official car and promptly stood down the aide and driver.

With Ngovi stripped to the chase,Dr. Ndambuki supervised as Ngovi packed his few belongings into a carton. Ngovi was never famous for keeping any reading materials in either the shelves or office drawers. 

Cornered, Ngovi then made a first call to a friend to pick him up, who was not immediately available. With the urge to exit the 'valley of death', Ngovi made a second frantic call, and a friend pulled in shortly afterwards and drove him away. 

Cabinet sources say the situation was tense as Ngovi exited White House for the last time.

Ngovi's cabinet friends watched as the well orchestrated drama unfolded. The meeting ended shortly after 4 pm.

Ngovi's dismissal was sealed with a National Red Alert that was circulated through police stations, notifying security agencies of the changes in the governor's office.

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Why Wavinya axed Ngovi

Ngovi loses power truggle

as Ndeti finally ditches him

By The Anchor Writer

In a significant shake-up, Governor Wavinya Ndeti's Chief of Staff, Lawrence Nzau Ngovi, has been officially relieved of his duties.

                 Mr Ngovi

The announcement, made public by County Secretary and Head of Public Service Dr. Muya Ndambuki, states that Ngovi's dismissal is effective from July 19, 2024.

"He is no longer authorized to transact any business on behalf of the county" was the final nail on his coffin. 

An analysis of the terse lines seems to imply that Ngovi may have been transacting business in the name of the County and it may not be surprising to see his exit published in the daily newspapers to underline how scathing the fight has been.

Ngovi's ousting comes after months of intense infighting within the governor's office. The power struggle involved Finance Minister Muia Kuyu and County Secretary Dr. Muya Ndambuki on the one hand and Ngovi and Health Minister Dr Daniel Yumbya on the other. Kuyu has been the most visible and has been working under increasingly difficult conditions for the past six months.

He becomes the latest casualty in this ongoing battle for control of influence and resources around Governor Ndeti. Ngovi joins a growing list of officials who have either quit or dismissed from the 22 month old administration that seems to be far from stable.

Matters have not been helped by official overreach by Dr Ndambuki who has executed mass staff been transfers from the County Public Service Board even when he has no lawful authority to do so, a clear case of incompetence.

Sources close to the Governor's office say Ngovi is accused of  allegedly leaking sensitive information about deals said to involve the Governor and her son, Charles Nzuki Oduwole.

Social media has been awash with lists of multi million properties the Governor is said to be developing,  including Mwaitu Plaza and County Lodge- next to her home where she holds consultative meetings with her top officials.

Sources say Wavinya herself has scolded Ngovi over the claims. He denied such claims.These accusations have made him a target for factions within the administration seeking to consolidate power and oust him altogether. 

Bad blood between Ndeti and Ngovi has been so intense that she has not set foot at her White House office for nearly one month. Recently, the governor oversaw the swearing of three new Chief Officers at her Mavoko offices at an event that Ngovi was not invited. But yesterday, as Ngovi's dismissal letter went out, the governor returned to hold a cabinet meeting at the White House.

The situation escalated further with recent demonstrations in Mitaboni, where protesters highlighted alleged corruption and questioned property developments linked to the Governor. The protests brought to the forefront accusations that wealth, supposedly funneled from the county government, was being used for personal gain by the Governor and her family. Critics are placing Charles at the center of the governor's liaisons,including attending cabinet meetings, and influencing key procurement decisions even when he bears to official status.

Insiders report that Ngovi has been scapegoated for various issues, with his opponents pinning every mishap on him to solidify their positions. As the dust settles, the office remains fraught with tension, leaving many to wonder who will step into Ngovi's role and whether the power struggle will finally come to an end.

Residents of Machakos County are closely monitoring these developments, pressing for transparency, accountability and prudent use of public resources. Further updates will follow as this story develops.

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Rita's day with Gen Zs

By Betty Wango

Roads and Transport Miniter Rita Ndunge faced a frightening moment last weekend when a microphone was wrenched off hands to stop her from addressing a burial event for a Gen Z protester who was killed in Nairobi.

Ms. Rita Ndunge Ndunda

It was at the send-off for Erickson Kyalo Mutisya, a victim of police brutality during the Finance Bill protests.

Rita had just been pulled to her feet by the Master of Ceremonies as he touted her as a beauty who the gathering needed to see. In a crafty gesture, the MC is named only as MC Isaiah, a  former MCA aspirant  Mutituni ward, handed the microphone to Rita as voices were being raised in opposition.

Rita did not seem to be decided to speak. Amid the din of opposing voices, she nevertheless took the stage and begun chanting " Justice for Ericsson." It was at this moment that a young man marched to the floor and wrenched the microphone from the minister as the MC intervened in vain. Her second 'justice for Ericsson' chant was cut off when the young man grabbed the microphone.

Lands Minister Nathaniel Nganga, who represented governor Wavinya Ndeti at the burial, observed the event quietly from his seat. Rita arrived at the burial late and found speeches having been concluded. In a video clip that has gone viral, the Mc is seen pulling her to her feet to have her address the crowd.

Machakos county runs 31 Illegal bank accounts, says Report

The County Government of Machakos operates a total of 31 illegal accounts in commercial banks,  the Controller of Budget (COB) reports. 

This operation is contrary to Regulations 82(1)(b) of the PFM (County Governments) Regulations, 2015, which requires that County government bank 

accounts be opened and maintained at the Central Bank of Kenya. The only exception to this regulation applies to imprest bank accounts for petty 

cash and revenue collection bank accounts, unless the county uses all its 31 accounts for petty cash and revenue collection.

In COB's report for the last 8 months on county finances, it was recommended that this anomaly be corrected promptly. The oversight also highlights a dismal performance in revenue collection which has hindered Wavinya Ndeti's administration to meet revenue collection projections for 2023/2024.

 "The under-performance of own-source revenue collection at Kshs.1.05 billion against an annual target of Kshs.4.01 billion, represents 26.3 per cent of the annual target" the COB report says.

The performance is underlined by inconsistent decisions made in the finance office under the minister Onesmus Kuyu during the year such as shuffling revenue staff, including the employment of over 400 new ones who were initially campaigners for Governor Ndeti. The hallmark of these inconsistencies is the removal of 9 Senior Revenue Officers who remain unemployed, and the removal of Revenue Chief Officer Mike Senga.

Allegedly, the revenue collected goes into people's pockets, rather than into the illegal accounts to avoid tracking.

The report also notes a staggering high level of pending bills, which amounts to Kshs.2.90 billion as of March 31, 2024. "Further, there 

was non-adherence to the pending bills payment plan by the County Treasury," the report says.

The COB also cites the use of manual payroll. "Personnel emoluments amounting to Kshs.427.21 million were processed through the manual payroll, accounting for 8.4 per cent of the total payroll cost."

COB says the manual payroll is prone to abuse and may lead to the loss of public funds where there is a lack of proper controls.

The report further notes that there was an over-expenditure on the County Assembly committee sitting allowances at Kshs.48.12 

million against the annual approved budget allocation of Kshs.43.0 million for the 61 MCAs. 

The assembly expends this money through sitting allowances for its 22 Standing Committees formed to misuse public funds through allowances- signifying that the malfeasance is widespred in the entire government. 

It enhances the grave doubts about the assembly's capabilities to oversee an outrightly incompetent executive on an eating spree.

COB says the over expenditure at the assembly is

an indication of possible misappropriation of public funds. 

COB further highlighted the unexplained variances of Kshs.400.90 million between the submitted expenditures reports and IFMIS 

expenditure reports, indicating that the county is spending millions outside the IFMIS system.

More worrying for the residents is a significant underperformance of the development budget at an 18.7 per cent absorption rate as opposed to the expected absorption rate of 75 per cent of the total development expenditure in the reporting period.

It means that even the little revenue raised by the government,  Governor Wavinya is unable to utilize the money to deliver services and development to her people.

It is highly unlikely that this budget absorption matrix will dramatically increase in the final 2023/2024 audit,meaning that the people of Machakos will have endured 2 successive years of an underperforming administration.

However COB says Sub-programmes with the highest levels of implementation based on absorption rates were in the Department of Health -Mwala Level 4 Hospital at 93.3 per cent, Matuu Level 4, at 86.9 per 

cent, Kalama Level 4,at 85.9 per cent, and General Administration and Support services at 71.0 per cent of budget allocation.

It appears that COB has identified county procurement  processes as the biggest impediment to budget absorption.

Procurement in the county has been centralised in the governor's office under on Mr Mathuki, who has one foot in the finance office and the other in the governor's office. This ensures that procurement is done under the governor's tooth comb. Sources say her son- Charles Nzuki Oduwole, makes the final decision over who gets what. 

Efforts to get a comment from Governor Ndeti were unsuccessful. 

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Your county leaders used 0.5b on trips, says report

Within 8 months in 2023, Kes 484m went
to Domestic and Kes 106m to Foreign trips

By Martin Masai,
Editor/ Publisher

YOUR County leaders gobbled a good  half a billion shillings in the last 8 months of the last financial year in travel alone, according to the office of the Controller of Budget.

During the period, expenditure on domestic travel amounted to Kshs.484.60 million and comprised Kshs.165.19 million spent by the County Assembly and Kshs.319.41 million by the County Executive.

Expenditure on foreign travel amounted to Kshs.106.99 million and comprised Kshs.57.54 million by the County Assembly and Kshs.49.45 million by the County Executive. 

An analysis by The Anchor shows that the county leaders undertook 24 trips to various countries including South Africa, Canada, the United States, Germany, Dubai, Japan, United Arab Emirates, Israel, the United Kingdom, Tanzania and Rwanda.

The County Assembly took the bulk of the foreign junkets- 16 of them, while the County Executive took 8 trips. The most expensive one to you gobbled Kes 6.4 million where 4 unnamed members of the County Executive travelled to Istanbul, Turkey to attend and Executive Leadership Summit between December 11- 22, 2023. Such summits, normally opportunities to buy commercialized  executive MBA qualifications may have brought value to the four individuals on the trip but not to the county or the people of Machakos.

Another junket was executed by another 4 unnamed people who went to the Cop 28 Summit in UAE Between November 30- December 12, 2023. It means 8 members of the County Executive were out of the country between Dec 11-12, 2024, attending to business whose tangible benefit to the county may never be known. The UAE summit used a cool Kes 4.3 million.

The second most expensive trip was taken by the County Assembly on 8-12 October 2023 where 7 unnamed members of the Machakos County Assembly travelled to Tokyo, Japan to attend an Internet Governance Summit. Kes 5.3 million was used during the 5 day trip. 

Most of the trips used between 3-2 million shillings. Probably the most telling trips were those made to the United States, each undertaken by 1 unnamed member of the County Executive that cost a total of Kes 2.7m. Another one to Germany by 2 members of the County Executive used Kes. 1.7m.

One of the most curious character of the trips by the County Assembly is that most of them had seven participants- 14 to be precise, out of the 16 trips. The largest delegations by the  assembly comprised on 14 and 8 people, both of which were trips to Arusha, Tanzania.

The bulk of the money used for travel and subsistence went to local travel. The Schedule from the Controller of Budget did not specify the destinations that the county leadership went to.

Machakos Nurses set day of strike over delayed promotions

By The Anchor Writer 

Nursing officers in Machakos County will down their tools on July 24, 2024, grounding operations in all health facilities if their promotions are not made.

              Mr.Michael Saka

The nurses today tendered a strike notice to the Minister for Health Dr. Daniel Yumbya, County Secretary Dr Muya Ndambuki and chair County Public Service Board Mr Urbanus Mutisya. 

The impact of the strike is projected to spread across Machakos and  the neighbouring counties of Kitui, Makueni, Kiambu, and Kajiado, where patients are likely to seek medical treatment. 

The nurses in Machakos vowed to down tools in three weeks’ time if the county government does not yield into their long-standing demands and grievances

The nurses have faulted the county for failing to adhere to some of their agreement including a return to work formulae that was agreed upon in September last year that long serving medics be promoted which they claim has not been effected to date. Promotions effected since have been selective and the union sees this as a divide and rule strategy by the county government.

Speaking at the Machakos County headquarters in Machakos town after presenting their notice to the county secretary, the medics said 1,015 have not been promoted in the last seven years, notwithstanding signed agreements to promote them.

The Machakos Branch Secretary for the Kenya Nurses Union (KNUN) Michael Saka said most hospitals in the county are being overstretched after more than 250 nurses  left the country to work overseas through a program supported by the national government.

Nurses have gone without leave as they work long hours to provide critical care to patients.

According to Saka, it is worrying that the county has initiated ambitious projects, including the upgrading of Level 2 hospitals, yet nurses' pay has never been a priority of the county.

Observers interpret the needs priorities to be driven by deals that come with construction contracts where officials line up their pockets while staff suffer over the years.

They lamented on the deplorable state of most health facilities, saying they lack medical supplies, with patients not going without food.

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Wavinya's 405 Revenue Clerks left jobless

Governor's supporters in shock

By Martin Masai

The fate of 405 Revenue  clerks  contracted by Governor Wavinya Ndeti hangs in the balance after the  county government withdrew a request to the Public Service Board to renew their contracts.

The letter of doom

Consequently, the workers have disappeared from their work stations since Tuesday, July 2, 2024. They were stationed in all sub counties in Machakos.

The Anchor established that the Chief Officer for Revenue Collection Zipporah Mutunga wrote a letter to the Acting Secretary and CEO of the County Public Service Board on May 6,2024, seeking the renewal or extension for contracts of the revenue clerks for three years.

Apparently, Ms. Mutunga's office, upon making the request, had attached appraisal documents for the clerks- whose age ranges from 18 years to 75, and approving their performance for the last one year. The clerks are made up of  Ms Ndeti's campaign staff who remained without jobs after she took office and employed campaigners who occupied upper levels of the mobilization battalion.

Last Saturday- June 29, 2024 was their last day at work. Word was sent verbally through their supervisors to report to the County Public Service Board on Tuesday June 2, 2024 to collect their new letters.

Unbeknown to them, Ms. Mutunga had written a letter to the CPSB on June  18,2024, reversing her request for the new contracts. It is unlikely that the letters will be forthcoming following reports circulating within the county that the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission had requested to be furnished with records and the process followed to hire the clerks.

The move puts in jeopardy the county plans to collect revenues to the tune of Kes 4b to fund its budget. It also comes as 9 Counsty Senior Revenue Officers(SROs) remain suspended for four months now, sending signals that all is not well at the revenue collection department of the county government.

Revenue oversight and coordination in the Sub Counties is currently done by County Administrators who have no knowledge in that field, leaving county revenues prone to abuse. Such was the case in Mwala recently when 12 revenue clerks were caught fiddling with the funds. None of them has since been prosecuted, meaning that those involved may be well connected within the county establishment.

The SROs were recalled from their various stations after an order by Finance Minister Onesmus Muyu. The order was implemented through the then Director of Revenue Collections Mr David Kakonzi, who too was eased out of the post shortly after. Within days, the then Chief Officer for Revelue Collection Jece Senga was transferred from office and replaced by Ms Mutunga.

These movements were preceded by a chaotic mass transfer of revenue officers that Kuyu ordered earlier that embarrassed him after ordering the transfer of a Chief Officer, an move that is outside his authority.

Inside Ndeti's Kes.14b budget

Kes. 4b for projects funding while 
Kes. 10b will be used for expenses

By Queen Mutindi

The Machakos County Government is set to gobble 71.4 percent of its Kes. 14bn budget for 2024/2025 on recurrent expenditure.

Mr Kuyu

In what is out rightly an affront to the Public Finance Management Act(PFMA), Finance Minister Mr. Onesmus Kuyu presented his budget to the Machakos County Assembly and had the audacity to state in his notes that the budget was within the dictates of the PFMA that stipulates that the budget’s development expenditure must not run below 35 percent.

Kuyu inaccurately states in notes to the budget that 30 percent of the budget had been allocated to development expenditure, yet, indeed, out of the Kes 14,392,185,634 billion, Kes 10,067,055,062billion will go to recurrent expenditure. Unfortunately, no one in the assembly noted the glaring declaration and as usual, the budget was passed, asserting the sorry state of governance in Kenya that has triggered a revolution by Gen Z Kenyans who feel the country is headed in the wrong direction.

It raises serious questions over the role of the assembly in oversighting the executive arm of government although, like at the national scene where Members of Parliament are bribed to pass illegal laws, MCAs too, are usually bribed to pass legislation in the counties.

How else does one justify the passing of a budget that leaves only Kes 4, 325,130,572 for development, yet it is highly likely that much of the money contains budgeted corruption and a large sum of it may be stolen by county mandarins who run county programs under Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s Chakula Mezani, Pesa Mfukoni mantra. It is therefore unlikely that the people of Machakos will realize meaningful change in the way they live.

The budget is prepared in the background of dwindling revenue for the county with projections indicating that Machakos had collected only Kes  1,051,979,26 b by June 2024. While the county projects to realize Kes 3b from Own Source Revenues to fund the budget, it remains to be seen if the projections will work, save for the projected Kes 9.5b from Equitable Share of revenue from the national government.

What makes the revenue generation a herculean task is the low figures reported from key sectors where the county is projecting to rake in funds is from as at the close of the first half of the financial year. The sectors are Building Plans Approvals (Kes 44,107,496m), Mavoko Quarries ( Kes 37,022,921m), Land Rates (Kes 35,612,844m), Bus Park( Kes 35,139,630m) and Small Business Permits(Kes 24,252,600m).

Details in the budget show that within the Kes 10 b expenditure plan, Wavinya’s office will gobble Kes 857,175,828m for recurrent expenditure up from Kes 580m in the just ended year while Kes 59,830,059m will be available for development funding, up from Kes 19m last year. The Anchor was unable to verify how the governor will use the nearly Kes 60m.

The Anchor has published excerpts of the budget in this article.

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