ODM MP James Rege in the dock over multi-million CDF ‘ghost’ projects

TWO agencies have written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over questionable expenditure of Karachuonyo Constituency Development Fund.

Kenya National Commission of Human Rights and Transparency International raised the matter with EACC after Okech Kendo, a veteran Journalist blew the whistle on the alleged scam.

The gist of the complaint are several incomplete projects on the ground that are officially reported to have been completed. “The fund is increasingly being pledged in fundraising forums by the managers, a fact that has led to pending debts owed to a number of schools in the area,” KNCHR said in their letter to the anti-graft agency.

TI officials are set to meet EACC detectives this week to further clarify the issues that were also flagged out by Auditor General Edward Ouko in the 2012/2013 financial year. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the detectives had moved to the ground and were Wednesday spotted at Alara inspecting some projects.

The move further dents the political fortunes of MP James Rege, a perceived ODM rebel.

Last month, Lamu West MP Julius Ndegwa was arraigned in court alongside four CDF managers for allegedly diverting sh1.6 million that was meant for constructing a cattle dip. In his petition, Kendo raised the red flag on alleged ghost projects, blatant misuse of funds as well as funding of unauthorised entities under the CDF Act. He said for example that despite paying Sh400,000 to a company associated with the CDF managers for completion of staff house at Ngolo Health Centre, the project has been abandoned.

“ The full payment was made before the completion of the project. The project itself is a stalled hut, whose roofing is rotting blue gum poles, with no foundation, windows and doors. The walls are cracking,” Kendo, also a University Lecturer said. He also raised doubts about the existence of tele-medicine at the Kendu Adventist Hospital- despite the constituency spending about Sh2 million to acquire the facility.

The don said that in the 2011/2012 financial year, over Sh2.7 million was spent on purchasing non existing video conferencing equipment for the CDF office.

“This facility does not exist in the CDF office,” he said.

Contacted for a comment, Kendo said that he has received numerous threats following the expose’ but emphasised that he would not withdraw from the accountability campaign.