#bungelahakiusawanamaendeleo,Lugari, Kakamega County: Five youths were arrested by police in Lugari for leading demonstrations against the area Constituency Development Fund (CDF) officials whom they accused of embezzling public funds. The youths were among a group of about 30 residents who were planning to demonstrate demanding immediate removal of all corrupt officials from the CDF committee. The five were arrested after chasing away the CDF manager Xystus Musuya from his office at Lumakanda and locked it until the area MP Ayub Savula addresses the issue. According to area police boss Bernard Macharia the demonstration was illegal since they had not acquired permission to go ahead and that it was not in order for them to lock a public office. He said police had launched investigations into the matter before the five are arraigned in court. He however urged residents to follow laid down regulations to present their grievances. The residents have accused the area CDF chair Caroline Sindani for misappropriation of funds. Armed with documents, they alleged that the accused has been forging signatures of other committee members to illegally get money for her on benefit. They have appealed to the area MP to intervene and save the situation which they claim will impact negatively on development of the area. Some of the residents have already moved to court to seek legal action over the issue. In a letter dated 27/06/2014 written by one of the advocates company addressed to the Chief Executive Officer of the Board, National Constituency Development Funds and copied to Lugari DCIO’s office, Ethics and Anticorruption commission western region office and the Lugari constituency office reads like this: We have been approached by Suba Isabwa , Aggrey Jeremiah and Bernard Agona to write and address you as we do hereunder;- That on or about 11th May, 2014 the chairperson of Lugari constituency development fund (CDF) one Caroline Simiyu made false request for reimbursement of Sh. 30,000/= that was allegedly spent on official duty by the chairperson, Suba Isabwa and Aggrey Jeremiah used the said funds for a visit at REA in Nairobi for CDF purposes. We are however informed that no CDF function at REA was attended by the chairperson, Suba Isabwa and Agrrey Jeremiah as alleged. We have further been informed that the chairperson has since fraudulently put the names of Suba Isabwa and Aggrey Jeremiah as people who accompanied her to the said place a fact which the two have denied. Its instructive to us that recently when the committee of CDF Lugari constituency had a meeting on 24th June 2014 the chairperson admitted to have fraudulently obtained the payment of Sh. 30, 000/= and she promised to refund the same. We are further informed that the above is a small sign of scandal that the chairperson has since committed as against the citizen of Lugari constituency who have been denied full and proper utilization of the CDF within their constituency. The conduct of chairperson has exposed her to have committed acts which;- (a) Amount to lack of integrity (b) Amount to gross misconduct (c) Amount to embezzlement of public funds (d) Amount to promoting unethical practices (e) Can bring disharmony within the committee Based on the above grounds we submit that the chairpersons conduct falls what is provided for under the provision of section 24(14) of the CDF 2013. We are instructed to lodge complain against the above chairperson under the provision of section 49 of the CDF Act 2013 so that the board can take up appropriate measures under the same section so that it may result to put section 48 of the Act in motion subject to your further investigation of the issue at hand. By the copy of this letter, we take liberty to inform the under mention officers authorities to be aware of the take of our clients. We shall oblige for your immediate actions. The letter was accompanied by some of the document allegedly used by the chairperson to illegally acquire money.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 06:12:08 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015