The immediate former Director of Administration at City Hall, Mr Domci Odera, is facing allegations of engaging in fraudulent activities in the procurement process, resulting in exaggerated prices of equipment purchased.
Mr. Odera, who was responsible for tenders and approval of payments at City Hall, is said to have handpicked companies to supply laptops and mobile iPhones at inflated prices while pocketing a cut of the funds.
The Auditor General’s report for the 2020/2021 financial period has exposed Mr. Odera’s lack of adherence to procurement rules, indicating that Mr. Odera approved payment of Sh4,864,960 for the supply and delivery of six (6) laptops and eight (8) mobile iPhones.
The report also revealed that Mr. Odera bought each laptop for Sh296,760 and each iPhone for Sh261,300, totaling Kshs.3,870,960.
Further investigation by the Auditor General revealed that the serial numbers of the equipment were not indicated on the delivery notes, and the names of the beneficiaries who received the laptops and phones could not be traced.
It has been rumored that Mr. Odera allocated one phone to himself and another to the office of the governor, while the remaining 6 phones were unaccounted for by the time he left office.
In addition to this, Mr. Odera is also under investigation for the payment of Sh65,015,000 incurred on fuel, oil, and lubricants.
He is suspected of running a fuel racket with Deputy Director in charge of Fleet management James Osodo and one Ochieng stationed at the filing stations fueling county vehicles.
It is alleged that Mr. Odera’s personal car was fueled using county fuel, resulting in the duo earning millions of shillings from the fuel racket.
Mr. Odera, who has since been transferred back to the ministry, is accused of violating procurement rules and engaging in fraudulent activities, which resulted in the loss of public funds.
The authorities are expected to take action against those implicated in this scandal and ensure that such malpractices do not occur in the future.
