This archive report was first published on 16 July 2020.
On July 16, 2020, the defense hearing of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong entered its second day, with the governor refuting allegations of losing Ksh.8 million in a solid waste management project.
According to the governor, the county government saved at least Ksh.17 million in the project, which was undertaken at a cost of Ksh.8 million, instead of the proposed Ksh.25 million.
“Instead of subjecting the county to Ksh.25 million, we used Ksh.8 million. So we saved the county unnecessary expenses…we saved the county Ksh.17 million,” said Ojaamong.
He further stated that had the county government undertaken the project alone, it would have spent over Ksh.15 million to deal with the same solid waste management, adding that the feasibility study alone in their procurement plans would have cost Ksh.10 million.
Madam-R Enterprises, the company that carried out the feasibility study of the project, spent close to Ksh.50 million, according to the governor, who claimed that the company incurred a loss and not a benefit.
“Madam-R Enterprises had the big picture of Busia County and she was not eyeing the Ksh.8 million that has brought us to this court,” he added.
Ojaamong denied all four charges leveled against him, including abuse of office and conspiracy to defraud the County Government.
He claimed that he is fighting and defending himself against an imaginary accuser, stating that he has never seen his accuser or the letter accusing him of any wrongdoing in connection with the Ksh.8 million graft case.
“They say the person who complained that money was lost was anonymous and through a letter, even the anonymous letter was not produced. I’m defending myself against an anonymous accuser,” the court was told.
