This archive report was first published on 11 May 2021.
Published on May 11, 2021, a grant of Sh87 million meant to support farmers in Nyamira County has been lying idle in a bank account for two years.
Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) are now demanding answers from the Executive regarding the funds allocated to support farmers.
County Assembly Speaker Moffat Teya sought an explanation from the Executive through the Assembly's Finance Committee, asking why farmers were suffering despite the money being available.
'We need to know why the monies are lying idle in the bank account for two years. The executive in charge of Finance and Planning is required to appear before the committee on Finance to give details on this matter within 14 days,' Speaker Teya said.
The money was given as a grant to the county government for the financial year 2018/2019 under the Devolution Support Programme.
According to reports, county officials often cut deals with bank executives to keep the money in the account for a while to accrue interest, benefiting both parties.
Nyamira County has been identified as one of the counties with the highest claims of corruption, with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) previously reporting that the county had the most graft claims despite being one of the poorest in the region.
