Members of the County Assembly in Laikipia are contemplating removing the County Revenue Board due to several allegations, including graft.
Thingithu ward MCA Stephen Ndiritu tabled a motion to have the seven members of the local revenue board impeached, accusing the board of extorting job seekers in the county.
“We want to send them home for misuse of office through extorting job seekers and sexual harassment. They are tainting the county, yet we have qualified people to conduct credible recruitment exercises for revenue collectors,” claimed Ndiritu as he called on the disbandment of the board.
Laikipia Governor Joshua Irungu’s administration tasked the revenue body to recruit and employ staff as the county geared up for a fully constituted County Public Service Board.
Further, Segera Ward MCA Salim Edum claimed 250 revenue collectors had their appointment letters revoked after receiving them.
“How will they uplift the lives of young people if they are blackmailing them through job applications? If you don’t give money, no opportunities, the current board should pave the way for competent people,” Edum lamented.
Another MCA, Amina Hussein, alleged that the County Revenue Board was soliciting between Ksh60,000 to Ksh80,000 from job seekers for each job offer.
According to Article 216 of the Kenyan constitution, one of the core functions of a county revenue board is to to make recommendations concerning the basis for the equitable sharing of revenue raised by the national government.
The board is also tasked with making recommendations on other matters concerning the financing of, and financial management by, county governments
Laikipia County has been in the news in recent months over leaders losing their seats through impeachment.
Former Senator John Kinyua was recently forced to resign as the purge of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s allies begins in Parliament.
Kinyua, who served in the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) for nearly two years, is believed to have caved to political forces to down his tools due to his long-standing association with impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
