Corruption has been devolved. That’s the new slogan for the anti-corruption crusaders and it’s turning out to be extremely true. Garissa County officials have been accused of orruption for grossly inflating costs of projects carried out by the county government.
County executives have been turning projects into cash cow by putting the costs through the ceiling in order to facilitate enough money that finds its way to their pocket.
‘What’s happening in Garissa County under the leadership of Governor Ali Bunow Korane cannot be allowed to continue. The taxpayers are loosing hundreds of millions through a well crafted dubious projects which is aimed to selfishly enrich them’ said one source who asked for anonymity due to the volatility of the matter.
Department Of Water.
A case in point is the Department of Water led by Governor Korane’s right hand man.
The source said that the universally accepted cost per metre of a borehole is between 60$ to65$ or Ksh 6000- Ksh 6500 per Metre.
In Garissa County The deepest Borehole Sunk is about 450 Metres deep. Ksh 6500 Multiplied by 450 Metres is Ksh 2,925,000. Equipping the Borehole and Contractors Markup/Profit of about Ksh 3,000,000. This Would Bring the Total cost for Drilling and Equipping the Borehole To Roughly about Ksh 6,000,000.
‘In the last 2 years, the people of Garissa have been used as a conduit for stealing Funds in the name of sinking Inflated Boreholes. We would like to urge the anti graft body , DCI and other government agencies to swing into action’
The Korane administration has paid the Following amounts for the following Boreholes-;
1. Drilling and equipping of Abdisamed Borehole- 18,102,700- Depth of Borehole 290 Metres
2. Drilling and equipping of Dogob Borehole- 18,102,700- Depth of Borehole 211 Metres3. Drilling and equipping of Shantaabaq Borehole- 18,102,700- Depth of Borehole 378 Metres
The Engineers estimates for each of the Project was Ksh 5,000,000 however the CECM water Mr Issa Oyow awarded The Drilling and Equipping of the 3 Boreholes each at a cost of 18M. Each Project inflated by 13M that was paid as Kickback to county officials.
Almost all the contracts was single sourced to to favourable contractors contrary to the laws governing Procurement procedures.
Corruption Watch Kenya 