Former Kisii County Assembly Clerk James Nyaoga has been accused of diverting Sh1.8 million, originally allocated for workers’ salaries, to unauthorized uses, according to revelations by county councilors.
This alleged misconduct occurred between June 1, 2022, and June 20, 2022.
The funds were improperly transferred to a private account, violating Section 154 (1) (c) of the Public Finance Management Act of 2012.
This information was detailed in documents presented to the Kisii County Assembly last Thursday.
In response, the councilors passed a motion to remove Nyaoga from his position.
Bassi Bogetauri Ward Councilor stated, “The money intended for the Savings and Loan Association of County Assembly Employees was diverted for personal use, constituting an economic crime under anti-corruption laws.”
Ibrahim Machuki, Chairman of the Temporary Committee investigating Nyaoga, supported this statement.
The motion for dismissal highlighted that Nyaoga had managed public funds in the 2021/2022 financial year without approval from the Kisii County Assembly’s Public Service Board.
Additionally, he failed to report on the use of public funds as required by Article 149 of the Public Money Management Act of 2012.
The councilors concluded that Nyaoga’s actions breached Chapter Six of the Constitution, which deals with ethics, and the Public Service Act of 2017.
He was also dismissed for misconduct.
Furthermore, Nyaoga faced criticism for refusing to cooperate with an investigation by the Service Board, which had been prompted by complaints from 100 employees about fund misuse.
“Nyaoga’s refusal to respond to the Board’s inquiry violates Section 20 (3) and Section 43(1) (f) of the Parliamentary Service Act,” the motion stated.
