Khalwale extends onslaught against Barasa over county’s Ksh11M food expenditure

Kakamega County Senator Boni Khalwale has continued with an onslaught against Governor Fernandes Barasa over a recent report that revealed bizarre expenditures.

Khalwale on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, took to his official X account to exclaim at the revelation that Kakamega County spent Ksh11 million on food for the governor’s staff.

Khalwale further called out the Barasa-led administration, terming it as rotten.

“Kakamega County Government spends Ksh11,000,000 for FOOD in the GOVERNOR’s Office! Kakamega county is rotten,” Khalwale posted.

The vocal senator shared a video of the county chief’s recent appearance before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee chaired by Homabay Senator Moses Kajwang, on May 23, 2024.

Khalwale on county expenditure

In the video, Governor Barasa was at pains explaining to the committee how his administration had spent Ksh11 million on food for the staff serving in his office only.

“I see a row that talks of personal allowances that are paid as part of salary, and an explanation there that personal allowances comprise of meals to staff in the office of the governor, and the amount is Kshs11 million,” Senator Kajwang is heard saying.

“Governor, that is what is in this report. In the prior year, it was Ksh18 million for the year,” Senator Kajwang added.

Barasa at pains

Governor Barasa while defending himself said the Ksh11 million had not been paid as allowances, but instead, it had been used to settle the food bills for the staff.

However, the clarification put him in more pain as he was now asked to explain whether all the Kakamega county’s problems had been solved so he chose to spend Ksh11 million on food.

“Now you have chosen to explain that you used the Kshs11 million to pay for food, for the staff in the governor’s office. Have we solved all the problems for the people of Kakamega?” Kajwang questioned.

Governor Barasa in response asked to be given time to break down the expenditure on the specifics as mentioned in his report.

Kakamega County Government spends *Ksh 11,000,000/- for FOOD in the GOVERNOR’s Office!*

Kakamega county is rotten. pic.twitter.com/Dc2oSlVLaW

— Dr Boni Khalwale, CBS (@DrBKhalwale) May 29, 2024

Khalwale and Barasa have not been in good political terms since the time he announced his intentions to dethrone the Kakamega County boss in 2027.

Khalwale and Barasa woos

In February 2024, Khalwale used the burial event of his longtime farmhand at Malinya village in Ikolomani constituency to lash out at Barasa whom he accused of misuse of funds allocated to the county.

He challenged the governor to, particularly, account for more than Ksh982 million that was allocated to the county for the improvement of several hospitals.

Khalwale further accused Barasa of using some people in the county to undermine him.

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