By Gerald Mukembu
Meru County Assembly Speaker Ayub Bundi has raised concerns about corruption in Parliament and the Senate, particularly during audits of public institutions.
Bundi has condemned the alleged practice of demanding bribes in exchange for clearance of audit queries.
“If an institution or individual is asked for Sh5 million or Sh10 million as kickbacks, where is that money supposed to come from?” he posed.
His remarks come days after President Ruto accused lawmakers of corruption, claiming some senators demand up to Sh150 million from governors during Senate hearings. The claims have sparked a political firestorm, with both MPs and senators demanding that the President table evidence to support his allegations.
Bundi has called on the national government to assist counties in clearing mounting pending bills, warning that the issue could lead to legal action against county assemblies.
Honourable Bundi applauded President William Ruto for recently assenting to a law granting fiscal and administrative independence to county assemblies, a move he said would empower counties to better manage their affairs.
“No pending bills should be rolled over to the next financial year. With direct access to funds, assemblies can effectively plan, implement projects, and independently carry out their oversight roles,” Bundi said.
Speaker Bundi raised concern that the Meru County Assembly is among several devolved units likely to face lawsuits due to unpaid bills.
He attributed the challenge to the lack of financial autonomy previously experienced by county assemblies, noting that assemblies were at the mercy of governors in accessing allocated funds.
“We risk being taken to court over pending bills only because we didn’t have autonomy to settle them. If we had direct access to funds, we would have paid a long time ago,” Bundi said.
He revealed that a county assembly offices construction project had stalled due to the former Meru Governor’s refusal to release allocated funds, despite the assembly issuing multiple official requests.
