This archive report was first published on 4 December 2019.
On April 6, 2010, Daniel Charles MacOmbogo, a casual worker at the Ndori-Owimbi-Luanda Kotieno Road Project in Kisumu county, traveled to the Ministry of Roads headquarters in Nairobi to report his concerns over perceived malpractices at the project.
MacOmbogo had traveled from western Kenya to blow the whistle on alleged abuse of office, fraud, conflict of interest, and arbitrary corruption by the resident engineer, Paul Onalo, who was based at Kenha, Barabara Plaza, Nairobi headquarters at the time.
Onalo is currently based at Kenha, Barabara Plaza, Nairobi headquarters.
MacOmbogo reported his concerns to then Permanent Secretary Michael Kamau, who was later replaced by James Macharia, the current Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Roads, with Principal Secretary Esther Koimett.
According to MacOmbogo, Onalo had irregularly conferred benefits to himself by way of ghost workers, effectively minting millions in phantom payment of salaries and wages over the period of the project, May 2002 to June 2010.
Onalo was also accused of using official vehicles to ferry smuggled supplies to his Koru and Kisumu homes, forcing his private firm, Headcom Civil Engineering Construction, to do concrete works on the road project, and resealing the Kisumu-Yala-Busia road.
MacOmbogo's allegations also included the channeling of all staff payments through Onalo's account, and the 'sat on' overtime payment of accumulated workers' 250 hours a month, which was reportedly in their millions.
After reporting his concerns, MacOmbogo returned to his work station in Kisumu, but was later dismissed verbally on May 13, 2010, for 'asking for Sh200,000 from the boss', which was allegedly in response to his petition to Onalo to pay him Sh200,000 against his pending overtime dues.
MacOmbogo's wife later succumbed to her undisclosed condition at the Russia Hospital in Kisumu.
