Three former Garissa County finance CECs have been allowed to sell county assets to compensate themselves for wrongful termination.
The three, Idriss Mukhtar, Salah Yakub and Mukhtar Bulale moved to court after the county failed to pay Sh53 million court award they got two years ago.
The Employment and Labour Relations court had awarded the three Sh53 million after the former governor, Nathif Jama wrongfully terminated their contract.
The court allowed the three to attach the county government’s assets after the Controller of Budget told the court that judgments against county governments can be enforced in the usual manner since they are not a charge on the fund.
Selina Amsugut Iseme, the director legal services in the office of the Controller of Budget said that attachment of properties belonging to the county government is possible.
According to the Controller of Budget, the law allows it to authorize a direct charge on the County Revenue Fund if it’s a county public debt which could be settled by the county.
“Judgment debts do not qualify as a charge on the County Revenue Fund it would be advisable for the petitioners to execute it in the normal manner.”
“This may include attachment of properties belonging to the county government, committal to civil jail of the relevant accounting officer or having the court issue a garnishee order on the operational accounts of the county government,” said Iseme as quoted by nation.co.ke.
The court in its ruling said that the former governor had violated the labour laws and ordered for the county government to pay Sh53 million in damages for the two years.
Idriss was shot in the head and left for dead outside a hotel in Kileleshwa, Nairobi on August 19 and he is currently in a coma in an Indian hospital.