Governor Otuoma under fire as MCAs decry stalled projects
By Aloys Michael, July 23, 2025Tensions are mounting in Busia County following sharp accusations from Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) directed at Governor Paul Otuoma over mismanagement and embezzlement of development funds.
The remarks come amid rising public concern over stalled projects across various wards in Busia.
Speaking on Wednesday within the chambers of the County Assembly building, the leaders led by Assembly Minority Leader Bonventure Makoha and Marachi Ward Representative Shadrack Masinde, the MCAs accused Governor Otuoma of failing to account for over Ksh19 million in development grants.
The funds, according to the legislators, were approved by the Assembly in the financial year 2024/2025 but have yet to be seen in any tangible development projects.
“Governor Otuoma must come clean on the whereabouts of the Ksh19 million meant for ward-based development projects,” Makoha said.
“These funds were allocated through due process. We deliberated and approved them, but months later, we are seeing nothing on the ground. Not even a single project has taken off.”
The legislators further said that despite their repeated follow-ups and correspondence with the County Executive, they have not received any satisfactory explanation about the funds’ usage.
Call for accountability
According to the leaders, this points to gross financial mismanagement within the county’s top leadership.
“We have done our part as the Assembly. We sat, discussed, and allocated money for specific projects across our wards. But what we are witnessing now is a blatant betrayal of the people’s trust. The county executive is sleeping on its job or worse, stealing from the people,” Masinde added.
Masinde went on to cite specific areas where projects have stalled due to the alleged lack of funds.
“In Marachi Ward, for instance, we had earmarked funds for borehole drilling and road rehabilitation and schools. To date, not a single contractor has been deployed. When we ask, we are told the money is not available. How is that possible when the Assembly approved it?” he posed.
The leaders have called on investigative agencies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), to step in and audit the county’s financial records, particularly the development budget allocations over the past fiscal year.
“We want the EACC to launch immediate investigations into the county’s expenditure. This is public money, and we will not stand by as it vanishes without accountability,” they appealed.
The County Assembly has scheduled a special sitting next week to deliberate further on the matter and possibly summon members of the executive to account for the missing funds.