Sirisia MP John Walukhe's woes deepened further after a Bungoma Civil Society group accused the National Government Constituency Development Fund committee of directing Ksh. 18 million to cater for the legislator’s bail.
Civil society members have called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the alleged misappropriation of funds.
Walukhe was sentenced to 67 years with a Ksh 707 million fine after he and Grace Wakhungu were found guilty of receiving Ksh.300 million in fictitious claims for the storage of non-existent maize.
According to the civil society group, the Ksh18 million was set aside to develop a modern administration block at Lwandanyi Secondary School in the constituency.
The group led by Director of Center for Good Governance, Phillip Wekesa demanded action against Sirisia constituency fund manager for directing the funds to cater for the MP's bail.
On Tuesday, August 11 the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji revealed that the fines would be scrutinised if the court accepts them.
Both Wakhungu and Walukhe were denied bail and bond with principal prosecution counsel Ruby Okoth arguing that the convicts had not raised any serious grounds to warrant their temporary release.
Issues raised by the lobby group have caused differences between the school and the CDF office as the funds were meant to be allocated to develop infrastructure in the school.
Wekesa threatened that the group would soon stage a demonstration if no action was taken over the alleged misappropriation of funds.
"They should say where the money went to or we will go to the streets and demand for action," noted Wekesa.
The tussle of funds meant for the school has been dragging for close to a year as the CDF officials who are joint signatories with the school refused to allow expenditure of the money.
The school funds issue was further complicated after the fund manager was transferred to another station but admitted that the money was not released after the school management refused to ‘cooperate with the CDF committee’.
Wekesa claimed that the fund manager should not have been transferred but instead be arrested and prosecuted for allegedly participating in the graft.
"The government should not transfer graft suspects to another station if the President is committed to fighting graft," stated Wekesa.
Patrick Wakhisi, a Personal Assitant to the jailed MP denied the claims that Ksh. 18 million was transferred from CDF to cater for bail.
"The MP cannot be part of such scandalous allegations. The family, friends and lawyers are working out to bail out the MP and these plans are independent and are not relying on CDF funds that are prudently managed by able officers from Nairobi," claimed Wakhisi.
