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Chamber Wants Officers Removed Over Corruption
- Details
- Published on Sunday, 22 July 2007 23:14
The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry demanded that the government remove the "corrupt chief officers".
In a statement to the Nation, the chamber's Kisii branch chairman, Mr Simeon Mariombe, and the town's businessmen threatened to suspend payment of revenue to the council until the officers were removed.
"We...wish to give a seven days ultimatum to the government to remove all the corrupt chief officers from the council or businessmen in Kisii town will suspend forthwith payment of all revenue," said the chamber boss.
He said it defeated logic for them to continue paying rates for services not rendered.
"All roads within Kisii municipality are in deplorable state yet money set aside for the rehabilitation of the roads network have been embezzled by known personalities," added Mr Mariombe.
The government, Mr Mariombe said, could not be said to be committed to fighting corruption in the public sector when there was glaring evidence that no single person has been arrested by police and charged over graft.
The official was reacting to press reports of official corruption and thieving at the council, which he said was worrying to the business community.
Last week, a report by the Controller and Auditor-General showed the council was owed Sh135.3 million in uncollected water and rental bills up to June 30, 2000.
The inspection report also said the municipal council had lost more than Sh15 million over the past one year alone. The report excludes the government's contribution in lieu of rates and service charge as the figures could not be determined.
The cases of financial impropriety at the council have severely eroded its capacity to deliver services to residents.
It owes creditors Sh44 million, which excludes loan instalments payable to the National Housing Corporation.
The chamber also asked the minister to suspend allocations of Local Government Transfer Fund to the municipality until it accounted for past allocations.
He supported Mayor Michael Okari's decision to divulge details of the massive rip-offs at the council.
