Vihiga governor Wilbur Otichilo is on the spot for spending Sh5 million on a housewarming party for the county speaker.
The details emerged when the governor appeared before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee on Monday, January 26, where he was questioned over the use of county funds to bankroll the extravagant celebration even as the county struggles with pressing needs in areas such as healthcare and education.
According to the committee, the money spent on the housewarming was unauthorised, and it accused the governor of misappropriating funds from contractors.
The committee revealed that the money in question was borrowed just to finance the party.
“The funds borrowed and returned by the vihiga assembly. And the first borrowing is Sh35 million, but there have been subsequent borrowing. The last borrowing was on December 15, 2023. It was Sh5 million to finance the speaker’s housewarming which has not been repaid.
The governor is now lending for house warming,” stated the committee chair, Moses Kajwang.
The senators expressed their concerns about how the funds were borrowed, noting that even if the funds were borrowed, they would have been used for public participation or for the MCAs to go on report writing or bill approval.
“There must be proper justification, even if it is legal or an official function. Is there a threshold on how public money should be used? Maybe we are giving them too much money until they decide to throw a housewarming,” added Samson Cherargei, who is a committee member.
The governor, when asked how the process of realising the funds, noted that the assembly clerk and the speaker initiated the request to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of finance and economic planning, who sought the approval of the executive before the money was released, since the assembly and the executive draw funds from the same revenue fund.
However, when asked to demonstrate whether the law was followed in releasing the funds, the county executive failed to provide evidence.
The governor maintained that the unveiling of the speaker’s residence was a formal government event and claimed the funds were later reimbursed, a position the committee disputed.
“I do not know the documentation here, but what I know is that the function that took place at the speaker’s place was an official function. The money that was given was for the official opening of the speaker’s house, that is what I know,” Governor Otichilo stated.
The committee also noted that the house in question has audit queries, as its construction is reported to be exaggerated.
“This money is not justifiable, on this one, in my own opinion, this money should be refunded,” added Cherargei.
The senators directed the governor to return and take administrative action after noting that he was unable to answer the questions, raising concerns that he might be being bypassed and that matters were being handled without his knowledge. The committee also demanded that those involved be charged.
At the same sitting, the committee instructed the governor to surcharge accounting officers over more than Sh1.9 million issued to county employees as salary advances between 2015 and 2017, after it emerged that the money was never recovered.
