REVEALED; Car loan/grant Kitty owed 91 million (Assembly), 28 million (Former MCA’s), 4.6 million (Governor’s office) in new twist as MCA invites DCI

In Summary

• SRC’s review
• DOWNLOADABLE; SRCs letter
• Assembly Kamukunji
• Juakali exposes graft, invites DCI
• DOWNLOADABLE; Car Loan Scheme Fund Regulations 2017
• Car loan Kitty Facts
• Clerk’s rejoinder
• #iKUWEiKUWE Corner

A letter from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to the Council of Governors (CoG) titled REVIEW OF THE CAR LOAN FOR THE SPEAKER AND MEMBER OF COUNTY ASSEMBLY triggered a chain reaction of events in the country, Bungoma County was not left out.

The SRC’s Review;

1. The car Grant is a Transport Facilitation Benefit payable to the Speaker and Members of County Assembly

2. Conversion of the Car facility to a Car Grant will be undertaken within the available Car Loan facility of Kshs. 4.5 Billion and will not affect the expenditure ceiling as provided by the CRA;

3. Upon conversion, the existing Car loan shall cease and the Speakers and Members of the County Assembly who have already benefited on the existing car loan shall convert their Car Loan to transport Facilitation Benefit in form of a Car Grant;

4. In view of the ongoing remuneration review process to inform the 2021/22-2024/25 remuneration review circle, the conversion of this benefit is only applicable to the current Speakers and Members of the County Assembly; and

5. The operationalization of conversion of the Car Loan for the Speaker and Member of the County Assembly to Transport Facilitation Benefit in form of a Car grant be undertaken administratively by the respective county governments

The purpose of this letter therefore, is to convey the Commission’s review of the Car Loan benefit to a Transport Facilitation Benefit in the form of a Car Grant.

Wrote the SRC chairperson, Mrs. Lyn C. Mengich

Downloadable SRC’s letter; LETTER TO COG ON CAR GRANT FOR MCAs 

Upon receiving the letter dated 9^th Feb 2021, the County Assembly of Bungoma members fully aware of a rumor that activist Okiya Omtata was possibly headed to court to block implementation of the said circular arrived in the assembly early Wednesday February 10 2021 with a view debating, ratifying and therefore beating Omtata’s petition if any on technicality of being overtaken by events

The MCAs were nevertheless shocked to discover that the loan fund that was to be converted to a grant had much more less funds that initially thought. This prompted unrest in the house forcing the MCAs to adjourn the sitting and convene a Kamukunji where the Clerk who doubles as the fund’s administrator Mr. John Mosongo informed them that;

• So far an average of Kshs. 1.5 million had been deducted from the 60 members translating to about Kshs. 90 million.

• 30 million had been advanced to the staff loans and mortgage fund which had not been fully recovered from staff salaries.

• A total of (on average) Kshs. 1.8 million from each member had been recovered from the Kshs. 3 million advanced to each MCA translating to 1.8 million × 60 MCAs = KShs. 108 million

The loan’s board was then given a week to come up with a detailed report on the same which will then be handed to the Public Accounts Committee for further action

The Car Grant talk took a nasty turn when Kimilili Town MCA, Hon David Barasa aka Juakali while streaming LIVE on #iKUWEiKUWE Movement informed the public that money had been lost in the said kitty

WATCH FB; https://web.facebook.com/586721326/videos/10158781095171327/

Watch YouTube: 

In a rejoinder the assembly Clerk welcomed investigating agencies saying;

• A number of MCAs also took top ups over and above the 2m, David Juakali Barasa being one of them. Others include Wapang’ana when he was arrested, Godfrey Mukhwana, Sitati Makhandia, Mwambu etc.
• The office of the Governor also owes the fund 4.6 million
• The Kitty had 56m, 30m was lent to staff car loan, the top ups and the Office of Governor. All put together it adds up.

Other facts;

• The loans board membership: –

1. 1. Barasa Mukhongo, MCA ~ Chair

   2. Jack Wambulwa, MCA ~ Vice Chair

   3. Millie Masungo, MCA ~ Member

   4. George Makari, MCA ~ Member

   5. Jane Cheprenger, MCA ~ Member

   6. Rael Khisa ~ Representing Public interest

   7. Purity Mwasame ~ Assembly staff

   8. John Mosongo, CLERK ~ automatic Secretary to the board but delegates to Purity

• Clerk John Mosongo, Purity Mwasame and Rael Khisa are the signatories to the fund

• Barasa Mukhongo is the automatic chair by virtue of him being the Chairman to the finance committee

• Until her recent ouster as the Budget Committee chair, Hon Rosemary Khisa held the position of Vice Chair to the loans board committee. She therefore replaced by her successor Hon. Jack Wambulwa who replaced her as the chair to the budget committee.

DOWNLOAD here;

Bungoma County Assembly Employees Car Loan Scheme Fund Regulations 2017

#iKUWEiKUWE Corner;

• Car grants for MCAs are long overdue,.. but the timing is suspect. To add salt to injury, this benefit is only applicable to the current Speaker and MCAs

• EACC should apart from interrogating the board, should visit the Bank of Africa which is the assembly’s banking institution

• There are borrowings, even the assembly itself owes the fund 91m

• Former MCAs who didn’t make it back owe 28m

• Current MCAs are still repaying loans.

• The fund’s cant balance… There is need for a serious audit from the time the kitty commenced.