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Embattled Siaya Deputy Governor William Oduol has been accused of spending Sh18 million of taxpayers’ money to renovate his office for personal comfort.

Siaya MCAs described Oduol as a high-handed individual who does not entertain any contrary opinion and asked the senate to uphold his impeachment.

The lawyer for the MCAs, Willis Otieno emphasised on the need for Oduol to be removed from office at this stage “lest he grows into a monster.”

“Cut them young. Do not allow a monster to grow. When you realise that a tree is bending, you cut it while still young,” said Otieno.

Otieno in his early submissions before the Senate committee, accused Oduol of coercing county procurement officials to purchase him a presidential chair and desk worth Sh1.12 million, funds that would have been channelled towards bursary.

The MCAs claimed that Oduol used Sh1.1million to procure a “presidential” chair in disregard of the procurement plan.

“The county had spent Sh18 million of the taxpayers’ monies for the personal comfort of an individual. We will demonstrate that Sh18 million constitutes 20 per cent of the county’s bursary allocation,” said Otieno.

Otieno told the Senate Ad hoc committee hearing the impeachment trial of Oduol that the embattled DG asked the procuring officials to provide Sh2 million to make his office sound proof.

Procurement officials

“He ignored the County Procurement plan in demanding for the renovation of his office, to make it sound proof and purchase a presidential table and chair,” Otieno submitted to the committee.

The lawyer claimed that Oduol took what he termed as ‘frustrations’ to lynch the procurement officials who failed to approve his request.

Otiono claimed that occassionally  Oduol would go to funerals and attack the county officials for failing to approve his request.

“The county assembly never approved the commitment of the Sh18 million for personal comfort of an individual. The former DG had successfully served the people of Siaya with the same furniture without condemnation by public works department. The first thing the Deputy Governor did was to intimidate and bully the procurement for his personal comfort,” said Otieno.

The County Assembly’s first witness, Yimbo East MCA Francis Otiato Otieno told the committee that Oduol was given a chance to substantiate all his claims especially on withdrawals of huge amounts of money from the county coffers but failed to do.

Taking to the witness stand, Otiato told the Senate committee that Oduol grossly violated the constitution and other laws and abused his office.

“Other than hearsay and hot air, the response given by the Deputy Governor failed to substantiate his allegations,” said Otiato. In his defence, the beleaguered deputy governor claimed that he was targeted for removal for being a whistle blower in financial malpractice in the County Executive.

In his opening remarks before the Senate Special Committee, Oduol described himself as a hunter turned hunted for drawing the attention of the Siaya county to how funds were being pilfered by Governor James Orengo and his junior staff.

Political lines

“The nature of my impeachment at the county assembly level was narrow, ill-informed, limited, misguided and choreographed to favour those abetting high crimes. I have been targeted simply because I am opposed to maladministration, I have challenged status quo and insisted on strict internal controls. I am the proverbial hunter that has become the hunted,” said Oduol.

He went on, “The drawing of political lines informs and oils the motivation behind the impeachment motion against me. Throughout Siaya County and even among sons and daughters of Siaya living away from home, the prosecution and my subsequent impeachment at the county assembly has failed to ignite the passions of the whole community.”

According to Oduol, his impeachment was done in an impartial, ill-informed and unfair manner.