By Jamhuri News Reporter
Samburu County’s Health and Sanitation Executive Mary Ekai is facing impeachment after the Samburu county Assembly passed an impeachment report against her.
The assembly passed the report twenty-five to one after an Ad-hoc committee that has been investigating her tabled their findings regarding misappropriation of public funds.
The report will now be forwarded to the governor, Moses Lenolkulal, who will handle the matter.
The health executive had earlier admitted to public funds misappropriation and breaching county’s procurement laws, and had allegedly spent Sh.3.1million on allowances in a three week trip to Italy and Israel.
Ms Ekai traveled alone to Italy for a week and is said to have spent Sh1.2 million on the trip. She said the visit was to tour various Italian hospitals for benchmarking. She then headed to Israel to pursue a two-week course on health systems management at the Galilee International Management Institute, and allegedly spent Sh 1.9 million on this trip.
The same course is offered in Kenya by Amref Health Africa for Sh71,000.
During the two trips, Sh. 1.3 Million was deposited into her account as per diem for the 14 days allowance. The committee questioned Ms. Ekai on how Sh. 1.3 was deposited into her account yet all accommodation expenses had been paid for separately.
When questioned by the committee further, she admitted that it was against the law for a public officer to receive per diem if accommodation had been catered for.
“If money meant for my allowances was deposited in my account I don’t know, because I have not checked my balance since I went to Israel until when I came back, if the said Sh1.3 Million is in my account then I’m more than willing to return it to Samburu County because its ‘mwananchi’s’ money.” Ekai said.
Ms. Ekai was accompanied by another officer from her office, Mr. David Onchonga, who had not been cleared by the county for the trip due to lack of funds. Mr. Onchonga’s travel was revealed by his a Facebook post which he posted during the trip.
She had earlier ordered another Sh.1.2 million to be paid to a garage in Nakuru for repair costs of her official car without following county’s procurement laws.
If Governor Moses Lenolkulal signs the report, the CEC will then be impeached.