Budget controller to withhold Wajir funds over leadership row

Controller of Budget (CoB) Margaret Nyakang’o has threatened to withhold funds for Wajir County government following a leadership dispute pitting reinstated Governor Mohamed Abdi Mahamud against incumbent Ahmed Ali Muktar.

Mahamud and Muktar are engaged in a vicious tussle for control of the devolved unit after the latter was reinstated to office by a three-judge bench sitting in Meru High Court. Muktar was ordered to go back to his office as the deputy governor.

On Friday, Mahamud’s lawyer wrote to Dr Nyakang’o asking her to temporarily freeze all expenditure by the Wajir county government pending scrutiny of the handover reports and preliminary audits of the projects.

“The objective of this request is to preserve public funds and resources,” the letter by Abdi’s lawyer read in part. Following the request, the COB has convened a crisis meeting with county assembly Speaker Ibrahim Yakub and county secretary Mohamed Abdullahi this week to establish the legitimate office holders in the docket of finance and planning.

“The (Abdi’s) lawyer wrote saying we should withhold release of any funds until the old governor is fully in office, which is in order,” Nyakang’o told the ‘People Daily ‘yesterday. Following the impeachment of Abdi, Muktar was sworn in as substantive governor. Muktar made radical changes to Abdi’s cabinet, including the crucial finance docket, thereby changing signatories to the county’s bank accounts.

The country’s budget boss said she wants to establish whether the current finance executive — signatory to the county’s accounts — is in office legally, especially after reinstatement of the ex-county chief.

“We will withhold (the funds). So, depending on their speed of putting their accounting officer in order, we will act. We will agree jointly (with the Speaker) on the timelines,” she said.