This archive report was first published on 20 August 2020.
August 20, 2020
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is facing intense scrutiny over allegations of embezzling Sh31.4 billion in public funds. A group of MCAs has written to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate the alleged corruption.
The MCAs claim that the looted funds were meant for three financial years between July 2017 and July 2020. The amount includes Sh11.1 billion in 2017/18FY, Sh13.3 billion in 2018/19FY, and Sh6.9 billion in the first nine months of 2019/20 fiscal year.
The MCAs, who have declared war on corruption in the county government, include Athuman Shebe (Jomvu Kuu), Fahad Kassim (Mjambere), Charles Kitula (Frere Town), Abrary Omar (Kongowea), and Robert Nyiro of Bamburi. They have lamented that despite the county government receiving billions of shillings over the years, there is little to show on the ground in terms of development.
The MCAs have accused Joho of lacking transparency in the management and expenditure of county resources. They claim that public projects indicated as having been started and completed only existed on paper. For instance, they say that in 2017, the county allocated Sh214 million for the construction of eight ECD centres, but only four have been completed to date.
They also claim that an additional budget of Sh117 million was allocated to furnish and equip the alleged eight ECDs, despite only four ECDs being in existence. The MCAs want to know who pocketed the millions for the other four ghost ECDs.
At the same time, Joho's office was allocated Sh89 million for refurbishment and change of furniture in 2016, and an additional Sh31 million was allocated for the refurbishment of the same governor's office in 2018.
The MCAs have also alleged that funds were being looted through hospitality and entertainment allocations, claiming a whopping Sh1.3 billion had been spent and cannot be accounted for. They have also disputed a claim that seven kilometres of road had been constructed in each of the 30 wards costing over Sh13 billion.
Joho has not taken the graft accusations lying down. Last week, a contingent of Mombasa county government askaris in two lorries descended on a tree seedlings business on Links Road Nyali operated by the Kongowea MCA and destroyed it.
