A school bus acquired through the Embakasi South National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) in the 2014/15 financial year has been identified in Kisii County as a City Shuttle public service vehicle, challenging assertions it remained stored in a Nairobi garage, according to investigative findings.
Acquisition and Initial Claims ¶
The KCE 129L bus was procured for St Stevens Secondary School during the 2014/15 fiscal period. Irshad Sumra, then the area MP and current ODM by-election candidate, oversaw the allocation. School director Zablon Karani previously stated the vehicle remained in a garage, but investigators located it at Nyangancha Market in Kisii County, where it had been parked for three weeks.
The bus bore City Shuttle branding, a Nairobi-based transport company. Karani denied rebranding efforts, asserting, "Some people are just making up pictures and sharing them. According to me, the bus is at the garage." A local source in Kisii claimed mechanics had recently moved the vehicle there for repainting.
Operational History and Ownership Changes ¶
A driver associated with the bus revealed he operated it under City Shuttle for four months before transporting it to Kisii for repairs, stating it would return to Nairobi for continued public service. NTSA records show ownership transitioned from St Stevens Secondary School to Mwananchi Credit Limited and Zipporah Buyaki Nyakwara after repairs.
Karani confirmed a Sh1.2 million loan was taken to fix the vehicle following an accident. He acknowledged the school’s status as a Community-Based Organisation (CBO), qualifying it for CDF funding. Sumra admitted the initial allocation for St Stevens was a mistake but claimed ignorance of the bus’s conversion.
Broader Funding Controversies ¶
A separate dispute involves Njenga Primary School, which received Sh5.38 million for a bus in 2014/15. Principal Cyprine Aboye denied receiving the vehicle, while Sumra claimed it was stored at NGCDF offices. A former school board chairman alleged both buses were later branded with opposition party colors and used in 2017 campaigns, though this remains unverified.
