Panic, confusion after West Pokot county staff arrested – Weekly Citizen

Panic and confusion are reigning in West Pokot county following the arrest of five staff over the stealing of 20,000 bags of maize that has seen the Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission taking them to court in Eldoret with reports that some senior staff were contemplating to quit Governor John Lonyangapou’s government for fear of more arrests.
Majority of the staff at the West Pokot county government say that the arrest of the county secretary Mike Parklea and four others for stealing public funds was a lesson they have learned as other arrests are to follow.
Commenting on the issue, human rights activist Denis Kapchok said when Lonyangapou says ‘kila mtu atabeba mzigo wake’ in reference to ongoing case, he means he has used and dumped innocent fellows to rot in prison cells.

Lonyangapuo

Their careers will be affected as their certificates of good conduct are revoked. Parklea is a career civil servant, an academician and a man whose integrity was intact until the day he was appointed in a senior county position.
Others whose careers are at stake include Titus Mayech, procurement officer Alice Jepkosgey, Joseph Lolemtum and Elvis Mwanga.
They were not in a capacity to approve or form any procurement committee as they are junior officers, those who sympathise with them say.
Further sources at the county revealed that EACC is investigating reports that at the time of the procurement meeting, Parklea had not been officially employed raising questions as at what capacity did he approve government procurement.
When Governor Lonyangapou took office, he drove away all heads of department, directors, chief officers, chief executive officers, ward and sub county administrators through special leave.
The immediate junior officers took ranks they did not fit for and lacked skills, knowledge and experience.
It is alleged that the county government exploited their ignorance and naivety by asking them to procure maize through restricted tender which only applies to purchase of military equipments.
Many Pokot businessmen had maize in their stores they had stocked to sell to the county just like they did during Governor Simon Kachapin regime.
A company belonging to a businesslady from Nandi county