Former Malindi MP Willy Baraka Mtengo has responded to the protests by Malindi residents against misappropriation of National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) between the financial years 2013/2014 and 2015/2016.
In a campaign dumped ‘Where is My NG-CDF,' the angry residents, accompanied by Haki Yetu Organization, on Friday last week erected a billboard displaying Malindi NG-CDF projects implementation status report as at May 2016.
The billboard was erected at Majengo stage in Barani sub-location, claiming that Mtengo was the MP when the ghost projects were allegedly implemented, hence he is responsible for the misappropriation.
However, Mtengo has distanced himself from the Malindi NG-CDF projects implementation status report erected by the residents, saying that he had not yet assumed office by then.
Addressing the press on Tuesday in Malindi, the former ODM MP revealed that the financial years, 2013/2014 to 2015/2016, that was marred with misappropriation of the NG-CDF were under the then Malindi MP Dan Kazungu Mzee, who is currently the Kenyan Ambassador to Tanzania.
He said, “the statements from the Haki Yetu Organization are misguided because the MP who they claim to have been in charge by then was not Willy Mtengo.”
He added that he was elected on March 7, 2016, after a by-election following the appointment of Kazungu as the Cabinet Secretary for Mining.
“I urge Haki Yetu Organization to get their records straight before involving the public. Maybe they were right on the misappropriation and the timeline, but on the MP in charge then, Haki Yetu is wrong," he said.
Contrary, Mtengo congratulated Haki Yetu Organization for keeping leaders on toes on the appropriation of public funds.
According to the residents, Malindi NG-CDF documented ghost projects that were allocated funds, and their implementation status read 100 per cent completed as opposed to what was taking place at the ground, saying that the NG-CDF office fills projects implementation status reports for audit purposes but not reflecting the reality.
During the protest, John Paul Obonyo, Haki Yetu Socioeconomic Department Coordinator asked the former Malindi MP Willy Baraka Mtengo to take responsibility of the about Sh4.5 million lost.
Obonyo said, “We had noted that during Willy Mtengo’s time, when these funds were disbursed, there was no openness and transparency. Projects were documented as implemented but do not exist.”
The residents had claimed that some of the projects that were reported implemented and do not exist include Kanu Office to Slaughterhouse road, Kanu Office Barani road and Barani Tree Planting Activity that consumed Sh600,000, Sh600,000, and Sh650,000 respectively.
Also, they claimed that some projects reflected in the report were implemented in other constituencies, for example, the residents alleged that a school named Bishop Baldachinno that was constructed at a tune of Sh2.5 million is located in Magarini constituency.
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