Ministry says MP placed Savula ads in his newspapers without consent

Lugari MP Ayub Savula who is facing fraud charges. PHOTO | KANYIRI WAHITO | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Mr Buhere said the company ran a special supplement that was not authorised by the ministry.
• The supplement was published between July 24 and 30, 2016.

By RICHARD MUNGUTI
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The Ministry of Education yesterday said companies associated with Lugari MP Ayub Savula and his two wives ran advertisements in his publication without its authority.

Mr Kennedy Buhere, a senior senior assistant director of communications in the ministry, said the Sunday Publishers, owned by Mr Savula, placed adverts that had not been requisitioned in the publication.

Mr Buhere said the company ran a special supplement that was not authorised by the ministry. The supplement was published between July 24 and 30, 2016.

Shown some correspondences between the MP’s company and the ministry, Mr Buhere said he did not request the Government Advertising Agency (GAA) to place any advertisement in the lawmaker’s publications.

“Did you write this letter dated May 16, 2016, requesting GAA to place an advertisement in the Sunday Publishers Ltd,” a State prosecutor asked Mr Buhere.

“No, I did not author this letter requesting that an advertisement be placed in the Sunday Publishers,” Mr Buhere responded.

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He said the contract for the advertisements was signed by Mr Savula’s wife, Ms Hellen Kemboi, while Mr Denis Kuko Chebitwey signed for GAA.

Mr Chebitwey is a former Director of GAA.

Mr Buhere added that some photocopies of his letter introducing the MP’s companies to GAA were also used to request for advertisements.

The witnesss was taken through several payment vouchers and supporting documents, some of which he disowned, while acknowledging others, which he wrote to GAA introducing Mr Savula’s publishing firms as the one earlier used by the ministry for its adverts.

PAID

Trial magistrate Francis Andayi heard that Mr Savula’s companies demanded to be paid millions of shillings for running the adverts

Mr Buhere identified some vouchers through which the companies were paid.

Two of the vouchers he identified were for the payment of Sh10.5 million and Sh5.5 million.

Mr Buhere, who is attached to the State Department of Early Learning, told Mr Andayi that before GAA took over the advertising he placed advertisements directly through the Nation Media Group (NMG) which publishes the Daily Nation, the Saturday Nation, the Sunday Nation and the Business Daily.

Mr Buhere said the ministry enjoyed good relations with NMG, until GAA took over the role of placing government ads.

“The NMG would place ads for the ministry and ask for payment later,” Mr Buhere said.

He said things changed when the government issued a circular requiring all t ministries and departments place ads through GAA in 2015, and admitted recommending the Sunday Publishers to GAA.

He said GAA placed adverts in the Daily Express, Saturday Express and Sunday Express.

Mr Buhere was testifying in a case in which Mr Savula and his wives, Melody Gatwiri and Hellen Jepkorir Kemboi, and their companies, are charged with defrauding the government Sh122,335,500 by pretending they would offer advertisement services in magazines with a wide circulation in the country.