Governor Hassan Joho, Senator Hassan Omar clash over missing cash

Governor Hassan Joho addressing the press

A fierce war of words has erupted between Governor Hassan Joho and Senator Hassan Omar over the latest report of the Auditor General which has raised questions about financial management at the county.

The senator sparked off the debate on Tuesday when he declared that the county assembly was not playing its oversight role well.

He particularly faulted the ward reps for failing to check how Sh496 million of collected revenue was not banked in the financial year ending June 2014.

“I want an explanation as to why Sh496 million was not banked,” the senator said in an unprecedented attack on MCAs.

Mr Omar claimed money has been lost at the county, demanded “prosecution of those who embezzled funds” and threatened action by the Senate if the local assembly will not act.

And yesterday Mr Joho’s allies came out with guns blazing accusing the senator of fabricating facts and distorting history for short term gain.

They claimed the issues raised in the auditor’s report were not new and have already been addressed. They said no money was lost in the 2013-2014 financial year.

Unpaid imprests

Joho’s spokesman Mudathir Abdulkarim released a statement accusing the senator of “distorting history and inventing facts” without a just cause.

Mr Abdulkarim said the governor and county government have already answered the questions raised by the Auditor General in December last year, including the matter of unpaid imprests.

Abdulkarim also said the questions raised by the Auditor General first arose early last year when the county assembly questioned expenditure, revenue collection and improper budgeting techniques by a former county executive committee member who was a close ally of the senator.

“The Auditor General raised the same issues the MCAs had raised and we all know the executive was impeached by the county assembly and then sacked by the governor for failure to provide an adequate explanation on these matters,” said Abdulkarim.

He accused the senator of not acknowledging Joho’s and MCA's actions when financial impropriety was reported during the 2013 financial year.

And Joho’s personal assistant Abdulrahman Idris accused the senator of raising tension without ascertaining all facts.

He said the senator “is free to initiate any other probe against the county government and assembly.”

“As far as we are concerned the issues touching the handling of Sh496 million during the tenure of the former executive is the main reason why he was impeached by MCAs and subsequent sacking by the governor” said Mr Idris.

Leaders Interests

At the same time, Speaker Thadius Rajwayi yesterday said the county assembly had already responded to all questions raised by the Auditor General when he sought answers three weeks ago.

The Auditor General’s report under discussion was for the 2013-2014 financial year.

“We are not aware that the county government did not bank Sh496 million. But the report has been received and the county public accounts committee is carrying out investigations,” Mr Rajwayi said.

Auditor General Edward Ouko says in the report that out of Sh1.715 billion total revenue that the county government collected, only Sh1.219 billion had been banked in its accounts by June 2014.

The report also questioned how 96 manufacturers were exempted from paying cess, which led to the county foregoing Sh85 million in revenue over a period of six months.

Yesterday, Rajwayi said the county has a maximum of three months to carry out its probe on the queries by the Auditor General.

The speaker said the county assembly would recommend necessary action against anyone culpable, including the governor, once the investigations are complete.

“We are going to recommend tough action against anyone found culpable after the committee completes its investigations,” Rajwayi said.

Rajwayi denied claims that the county assembly was being controlled by the executive.

He defended the independence of the assembly saying it has, on several occasions, acted against the interests of the governor and senator in the past.

The speaker cited the impeachment of former county executive member for Finance Khalid Walid against the interest of the two leaders.