KAKAMEGA CLERK RETURNED BY COURT NOW SUSPENDED.

KAKAMEGA County Service board has suspended former Clerk Laban Atemba on claims of abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds. 

Eshikumo2030.blogspot.com has obtained a letter REF KKCA/CASB/SUS/LMA/1 signed by the Speaker Hon James Namathsi stating the facts of the action. 

The letter dated 31st March 2023 details how the clerk, as an accounting officer paid several individuals and Companies  monies running into millions without proper channels. 

At some point in the Exclusive letter, the Speaker claims Mr. Atemba even paid himself some cash for phoney supplies. 

The 13-paged letter gives a blow by blow of the charge sheet as it states "That between 2020 and 2021 you made irregular payments of ksh 45,555,626 to suppliers for goods not supplied in contravention of Article 201(a) and (d) of the Kenyan constitution"

The letter also accuses the clerk of making a false document contrary to section 357(a) and the penal code. 

"On 26/11/2020,you made a voucher of item no 2211103 to Shammah Physiotherapy amounting to ksh 2.158,00 being payment of sanitation services" 

"That on 10/7/2020, you made an LPO numbers 2352633 and 1652128  to Shammah and paid Ksh 936,000 and ksh 2M for supply of non existent labeled Sanitizers" 

The letter documents dramatic payments of millions to said phoney companies while Mr. Atemba was Clerk as most of the companies belonged to MCAs. 

The letter seems to relay much on observations from the Auditor General reports and financial statements for the financial year ended June 30th 2018, 2019, 2021 the period the Clerk served.

For instance, The Audit report for the financial year ended 30th June 2019, the coffers were raided and milked dry by paying for non delivered fuel products and lubricants worth Ksh 2,650,00 without respective purchase orders thus making accounting for the funds difficult. 

In the Auditor reports for financial year ending 30th June 2021 it is reported that funds were stolen from the Assembly coffers thru "Irregular payment of Domestic travel and subsistence to the tune of Ksh. 67,462 to staff and members of the Assembly without supporting such aseeting attendance or registers" reads the report on posession of Eshikumo2030.blogspot.com. 

We also obtained bank documents showing that between July 2018 to June 2019, Ksh 30,03,400 was withdrawn from the Car and mortgage Fund Account Family Bank without authorization contrary to the Kakamega County Car and Mortgage Regulations annexture J. 

Also in the mix is failing to remit to KRA Ksh 1.226,244 which was deducted as rental income withholding tax in the period 2020-2021.

Mr. Atemba had moved to court contesting his earlier suspension saying it was irregular, the courts had held that he can assume office as Clerk but before he could serve the Assembly with the order, his chargesheet full of accusations was drawn and served to him with instructions to respond within 21 days from receipt of the letter. 

ENDS.