Ill-happenings at Eldoret Red Cross office – Weekly Citizen

Members of the Trans Nzoia Kenya Red Cross Society have hit out at the leadership of the regional office based in Eldoret for alleged highhandedness and bias in the running of the branch which has a bonafide office elected by members.
The members have further expressed disappointment on how the regional manager Nicholas Kemboi has teamed up with the former chairman of the Trans Nzoia branch Ronald Masindano and the head of operations Michael Ayabei together with the regional finance officer Esther Chege to allegedly blackmail, threaten and malign the branch leadership not to question the use of the more than Sh7 million donated to the branch by UNHCR.
Speaking to this newspaper at the branch office in Kitale, the irate members accused Kemboi of micromanaging the branch as if Trans Nzoia was a subcounty of Uasin Gishu and vowed to resist his thirst for money.
“The regional boss and the head of operations orchestrated the sacking of our branch coordinator and nutritionist dismissed in May 2019 and have gone ahead to bring in their girlfriends Ruth Miningwa and Joyce Njihia to work as coordinator and nutritionist without following the law,” said Peterson Wasike, a life member.
Wasike faulted the composition of those imported to the branch, saying it lacked transparency and accountability.
The members asked the national secretary general Abbas Guleed to intervene with the urgency it deserved saying any threats by Kemboi to disband the branch would be met by the full force of the law.

The branch membership accused the regional office for carrying out projects without procurement rules being followed and without involvement of stakeholders.
Investigations by Weekly Citizen reveal the construction of a toilet at a cost of Sh750,000, a 10000 litres water tank and sheds for asylum seekers.
The members faulted the rationale behind the supply of foodstuffs, office equipments including pens, toilet papers, pens, brooms being done by people from Eldoret.
Members appealed to the secretary general Abbas Gulet to personally intervene and have the account signatories changed to allow contactors get paid.
The members further faulted the UNHCR for failing to chip in and assist the county government of Trans Nzoia which has been facing floods after River Sabwani burst its banks leading to destruction of 40 houses, submerging toilets, two schools and displacing of over 1500 residents.
Recently, Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa led a team from his ministry, Kenya Red Cross, Trans Nzoia county government and leaders from Kwanza constituency led by MP Ferdinand Wanyonyi, Trans Nzoia county assembly minority leader Emmanuel Waswa and Kapomboi ward MCA Ben Wanjala in donating over 500 bags of maize, 300 bags of rice, 300 bags of beans to the families and asked for concerted efforts to end the perennial challenge caused by floods.
Wamalwa said his ministry had allocated Sh20 million for the construction of dykes which he said would permanently end the menace.
Waningilo Walubengo who is a director at the National Water Harvesting Authority said the dykes would end the problem and asked the contractors doing the Namanjalala Kolongolo road not to interfere with dykes and culverts.