Nairobi Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) have issued a resounding call for swift action by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to prosecute five former City Hall officials implicated in the misappropriation of County Alcoholic Drinks and Liquor Licensing Board funds amounting to millions of shillings.

The MCAs have pressed for accountability and recovery of public funds in the wake of a damning report presented to the EACC.

The Select Committee on Public Accounts, led by Chairperson Chege Mwaura, formally presented the report to the EACC.

Mwaura emphasized that the recommendation for prosecution stems from a rigorous audit conducted on the financial activities of the liquor board for the fiscal years 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.

“We have had a comprehensive conversation with the commission, and they have promised to take action on the officers mentioned and to recover public funds lost during the financial years,” stated Chege, underlining the gravity of the situation.

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The officials implicated in the report are as follows: Alan Igambi, former Trade, Tourism, and Cooperatives executive; Dr. Jairus Musumba, former Chief Officer for Trade, Tourism, and Cooperatives; Mohamed Sahal, former Chief Officer for Trade and Tourism; Hesbon Agwena, former director; and Julius Matekwa, former accountant at the board.

These individuals, who served as the accounting officers for the liquor fund, have faced allegations of breaching several procurement laws.

One of the most concerning issues raised by the MCAs is the lack of receipts to account for revenue collected in the financial years ending in 2018/2019 and 2019/2020.

Although the board reportedly collected a significant sum of Sh427 million and Sh515 million for the respective fiscal years, there is a conspicuous absence of evidence indicating the remittance of these funds to the bank account operated by the fund.

Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai underscored the urgency of the matter while condemning the board's financial mismanagement.

"This is a board that has not been audited for the past two years. They have been collecting revenue, but the officials opted to spend lavishly by going to exotic destinations. We call upon the commission to act and recover public resources that were lost," Alai stated.

The ward representatives have further questioned the officials following an audit report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, which was tabled before the Nairobi City County Assembly.

The auditor-general's report points out that the liquor board flagrantly violated the Public Procurement Act by submitting financial statements three months after the close of the fiscal year, thereby obstructing a thorough audit of the financial records.

In light of these revelations, the Nairobi MCAs are determined to ensure accountability and justice are served.

Their call for the EACC to act swiftly and decisively against the implicated officials marks a significant step toward restoring public trust and recovering the misappropriated County Alcoholic Drinks and Liquor Licensing Board funds.