Embu secretary sent home over seed, stadium tenders

Ms Margaret Lorna Kariuki (left). The County Assembly has passed a vote of no confidence in her over corruption claims. Photo/Charles wanyoro 

By CHARLES WANYORO

In Summary

• County assembly members said the official had overlooked procurement procedures when she allowed the purchase of maize seed at Sh3.1 million and the facelift of the Embu stadium.

The Embu county assembly on Wednesday passed a vote of no confidence in County secretary Margaret Lorna Kariuki over corruption and failure to follow procurement laws.

The members said the official had overlooked procurement procedures when she allowed the purchase of maize seed at Sh3.1 million and the facelift of the Embu stadium.

County Assembly agriculture and livestock committee chairman Salesio Kimaru said the seeds supplied to farmers did not germinate.

The members also called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate if Ms Kariuki broke the law by allowing the budget for the facelift of the stadium to be adjusted from Sh8m to Sh50m without consultation of the Infrastructure and Sports committees.

Mr Kimaru said Ms Kariuki single-handedly procured the seeds from a company that was not the lowest bidder and allowed construction works at the Embu Stadium before a tender was advertised.

The Assembly recommended that the firm which supplied the seeds be barred from conducting any more business with the county and that the farmers who incurred losses be compensated fully. Ms Kariuki is the second Embu county secretary to be sacked.

In August 2013 governor Martin Wambora sacked David Kanji after he declined to pay some contractors. Mr Kanji had been seconded to the county by the Transitional Authority.

The assembly said it had resolved to fight corruption after the county was ranked among the top three most corrupt counties.

Procurement laws require that jobs worth more than Sh2 million go through tendering