Nyamira County Assembly public accounts committee has launched investigations on alleged skewed tendering in the county’s executive arm.
This comes after a section of youths allied to Youth Senate failed a petition challenging the assembly to investigate possible shortchanging of the younger generation in the constitutional 30% tender provision.
In their petition, the Youth Senate wants the committee to compel the executive to publish all the names of youths, women and people with disability who have won tender since 2013 and take an action against alleged fraudulent tendering.
“I received the petition through the speaker’s office and we have immediately launched investigations. We want to know whether the youths have not been winning tenders and the allegations that they are short-changed. The committee will also compel within our mandate various executive department the list of all tenders that have been won since 2013,” committee Chair Ezra Mochiemo told the reporter on Wednesday.
He said all parties will be given a chance to appear before the committee and submit any relevant information and said its verdict on the allegations will be availed to the public in a month’s time.
“This is a serious constitutional petition and the committee has directed all concerned parties (youths and county executive) to appear and give their testimonies. We promise an impartial investigation and a conclusion in a month’s time so that we establish the truth for the sake of public,” he added.
The Youth Senate also in the petition which was seen by the writer also demands that the committee investigate nepotism on tendering by a section of county departments which they accused of favors.