Isiolo MCAs want service board to take action against Assembly Clerk accused of illegalities

Isiolo MCAs are up in arms over alleged abuse of office by the County Assembly Clerk Salad Boru, whom they accuse of micromanaging the legislative arm, ostensibly making it impossible for them to effectively discharge their oversight mandate.

The ward representatives alleged that the clerk operates with excessive impunity, from non-remittance of their statutory and voluntary deductions and gratuities to limited access to the County Assembly's financial reports and disregard for the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in the utilisation of public funds.

They also claimed Salad's incompetence in executing his duties had resulted in the collapse of the administrative arm of the Assembly, which had necessitated the relocation of the County Assembly offices to Nairobi.

In a joint press release read out by Majority Leader Abdirashid Ali, the ward representatives said non-remittance of the statutory and voluntary deductions had caused untold suffering to them and the Assembly staff.

This is despite the money being deducted from their salaries, opening the lid on the possibility that the funds could have been redirected to other expenditures in contravention of the law.

Abdirashid said that while the Controller of Budget report for the financial year 2022/23 showed that funds for MCAs' car grants had been remitted, the monies had not been disbursed to some of the legislators.

The MCAs also claimed the tendering and recruitment processes were unclear and opaque.

"The Assembly loans not paid have made loaners get listed with the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) as defaulters, tarnishing their integrity. The allowances are never paid in time, demotivating members of the county assembly," Abdirashid said.

Their address followed a request by the County Assembly Majority Whip and Burat MCA, Nicholas Lorot, to the Chairperson of the Isiolo County Assembly Service Board to make a statement in the House.

Nicholas said some of the MCAs had been enlisted with CRB despite statutory deductions towards the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Local Authorities Provident Fund (LAPFUND), and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), as well as voluntary ones such as loan deductions, grants, and gratuities being made from their salaries.

"This has occasioned stress and dishonour to the MCAs due to harassment by government bodies, while some staff have resorted to last-minute harambees and begging, to sort their bills, including hospital expenses," he alleged.

Isiolo County Assembly Majority Leader Abdirashid Ali addresses journalists at the County Assembly on July 24, 2024. (Photo:Waweru Wairimu)

The leader said it was illegal and unacceptable for already budgeted funds to be redirected to other activities. He demanded a list of MCAs who had received their mortgages and car grants and an explanation of why there were disparities while the monies for all the members had been disbursed from the National Treasury.

The County Assembly Service Board, he said, should also provide all statutory and voluntary deduction remittance schedules for MCAs and other employees and provide reasons for discrepancies and how it would deal with the violation. Gratuity remittance has not been done for 11 months, and voluntary deductions have only been remitted for four months.

He further sought from the County Assembly Service Board all requisitions sent to the Controller of Budget between August 2022 and June 2024 for the Assembly's scrutiny, with specific interest in IFMIS requisitions and antecedents requesting employees and returns of all imprest from January 2022 and June 2024.

Also, a list of all bank accounts being operated by the County Assembly, their signatories, and financial statements of alleged private bank accounts from January 2022 to June 2024, and a list of companies awarded contracts, work done, and amounts paid and due for the years ending June 2022 and June 2023.

The majority whip further sought a statement regarding the County Assembly's assets and assets register and the status of the construction of the modern chambers.

He said after the former Speaker allocated Sh80 million for the Chambers in the County Integrated Development Plan, the clerk allegedly adjusted it to Sh180 million, moving the ceiling to over Sh500 million for recurrent expenditure and more than Sh100 million for development in the year 2023/24.

Further, he revealed the number of vehicles and other movable and immovable assets were not being updated or recorded.

The majority whip also sought information on three high-end land cruisers belonging to the county assembly that were allegedly auctioned, receipts of the proceeds, an updated asset register, as well as the chamber's contract terms, name, and amount paid, as well as the remaining work schedule, including when it would be ready.

The statement also listed in-house contracts awarded for wiring, repairs, and fixing of the sound system in the current chambers, seeking information on the amount, name of the contractor, and work done.

During the address, the MCAs demanded answers over the concerns raised by Monday, July 29, threatening to invite investigative agencies to probe the issues.

Isiolo MCAs outside the County Assembly buildings on July 24, 2024. (Photo: Waweru Wairimu)

Nominated MCA Rahma Abdikadir said they had on three occasions invited the clerk to respond to the issues and even written to him about the violations, but their concerns were ignored.

Other MCAs present were Deputy Speaker David Lemantile (Oldonyiro), David Waithaka (Bulapesa), Salesio Kiambi (Wabera), Meja Golicha (Chari), Halima Abgudo (Cherab) Peter Losu (Ngaremara) and Nominated representatives Fatuma Abdullahi, Amina Enow, Francisco Letimalo, Dekha Bonja and Kamila Warsame.

Halima, who is a member of the County Assembly Service Board, assured her colleagues that the issues raised will be escalated to the Board for action. "We are there to represent and fight for your rights and that is what we will do," she said.

The embattled clerk was unreachable for comment by the time of going to press.