Nairobi News

Cord leader Raila Odinga has defended the County Government of Kilifi following graft allegations against its top officials.

In a statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday, the opposition leader also asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to “learn from the County” on how to handle corrupt public officers.

The County Government of Kilifi has hogged the public headlines for all the wrong reasons off late, specifically in relation to media reports suggesting some Sh51 million of public money has been lost lost through the manipulation of the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMIS) and the banking system of Central Bank.

Following this reported theft, Odinga who was on a tour of the County, insists Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi handled the anomaly “decisively” by among other steps, instructing all investigative organs, “which as we all know are under the National Government” to be informed.

LACK OF POWER

The County Government, according to the former Prime Minister, consequently suspended 10 officials implicated in the fraud by virtue of their passwords being used pending the conclusion of the investigations.

The County Government of Kilifi has also written to other investigative organs, including the CID and EACC, to investigate the matter.

“The Governor and his team have not lamented about lack of powers to fight corruption and theft. Instead, they have relied on the agencies that are controlled by and are at the disposal of the National Government to get to the bottom of the scam,” said Odinga.

He added: “The habit of spreading blame, passing the buck, lamenting about lack of power, defending suspects before they are investigated and allowing suspects to preside over investigations have been perfected by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto in all the corruption scandals that have engulfed the country, and they are very many”

Governor Kingi has also received support from top opposition leaders including his Mombasa counterpart Ali Hassan Joho.