Members of the County Assembly in the Western region have been put on the spot for allegedly using their positions to influence the award of tenders in their wards to their advantage.
The MCAs have also been put on the radar for using threats of impeachment against the executives who declined their requests of allocating those slots for their relatives when jobs were advertised.
As a result, governors have been forced to constantly reshuffle the executive members when they clash with the MCAs to save them from the County Assembly axe.
Already, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating six MCAs from Bungoma who are accused of using 41 proxy companies linked to associates and family members to do tenders worth Sh144million.
EACC Regional Director for Western Kenya Eric Ngumbi said that as a result of blackmail by county assemblies to get tenders and have their relatives recruited, the responsibility of county assemblies to exercise oversight of accountability in the executive has been compromised.
“Some public officials, especially in the counties, have betrayed public trust and transformed their entrusted positions into opportunities to illegitimately enrich themselves, their families, friends, and associates,” he said, adding that the Commission has recovered billions in stolen funds and is pursuing high-profile cases in the region.
He said that lack of effective oversight by the County Assembly as required by the law created a loophole for corruption to thrive.
Ngumbi was speaking when he opened the Corruption Prevention Forum for County Executive Committee Members (CECM) and Chief Officers of Kakamega County on Monday.
He warned that trading with counties puts county officials at risk of sanctions outlined under the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, which was recently signed into law by the President.
He urged governors of the 34 counties where Corruption Risk Assessment has been undertaken by EACC to implement the EACC recommendations, which would significantly reduce the levels of corruption currently witnessed even as EACC continues with investigations.
Kakamega County Secretary Lawrence Omuhaka said the county government would continue to work with EACC in the fight against corruption.
