The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has summoned over 100 Bungoma MCAs and assembly staff who allegedly received Christmas allowances irregularly.
According to the Authority, 63 MCAs received Sh30,000 each while each of the 70 assembly staff received Sh20,000 during the 2015 – 2016 financial year.
The commission said it established that the payments amounting to Sh3.2 million were done through irregular imprest forms.
EACC wants the MCAs and assembly staff to appear before it to pick their letters.
The letters ask the MCAs and staff to return the cash and all interest accumulated within 14 days, failure to which civil right proceeding would be initiated against them.
A number of MCAs showed up on Monday at the EACC offices.
John Musakali, a former MCA for Ndivisi Ward in Webuye East constituency, confirmed that they received the summons. He said some MCAs had already refunded the cash.
Bungoma County Assembly clerk, John Mosongo, said the staff and MCAs have no other choice but to return the money.
This comes as civil rights groups in Bungoma lodged numerous complaints to EACC in regards to graft cases and the embezzlement of public funds at the county assembly.
“The County Assembly of Bungoma is mandated with oversighting expenditure of public funds, yet they have resorted to presiding over graft in the county,” said Philip Wekesa from Citizens for Good Governance.
“The MCAs and staff members shared 3.2 million illegally for Christmas. We want the EACC to surcharge them so that the tax payers’ money is recovered and used for what it was intended for.”
Lumumba Wekesa, another member of Citizens for Good Governance, termed the MCAs as a big embarrassment to the county.
“The EACC has taken the right direction but we feel they have been sleeping on the job, since we raised the complaints seven years ago and its only now that they are responding,” he said.
