The standard, 19th October 2009
Water firm sends six managers home over fire
Six managers have been suspended from the National water and Pipeline Corporation. This comes barely three weeks after a mysterious fire razed down the company premises in Nairobi. Water assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri said among those suspended is an auditor and a financial officer.
Mr.Kiunjuri said the cause of the fire was suspicious, but added crucial documents which could be used to unravel financial impropriety in the corporation were still intact. He said officers from the anti corruption commission and the Efficiency Monitoring Unit are investigating financial misappropriation in the corporation.
``Documents containing crucial information were not destroyed and will be used by the officers to investigate alleged financial impropriety” he added. Kiunjuri spoke at the weekend after inspecting the construction of the 4.8 billion Chemusus dam in Eldama Ravine constituency.
NO MONEY LOST
He denied claims in a section of the media that contractors of the dam and others across the country were not up to the task. ``Anybody questioning the competence of the contractors should visit here and see the quality of the work”, he said. The questions are being raised because the contract was given to an African. If it was a foreigner doing the work you would not have heard such complaints, “he claimed.
Kiunjuri said the construction of the dam would take three years and after which residents of Eldama Ravine and Baringo Districts will not experience water shortages. There had been reports that the Sh 10 billion meant for construction of dams had allegedly been embezzled.
Story on page 4 of the standard by Karanja Njoroge