By Lameck Baraza
Gem Member of Parliament (MP) Elisha Odhiambo has called on Siaya Governor James Orengo to reconstitute his cabinet to enhance service delivery and curb corruption.
Odhiambo decried the rampant graft in the county, stating that even employment opportunities for local youth are tainted by corrupt practices.
His remarks follow intense scrutiny by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over a scandal involving the irregular hiring of 520 health workers across various county departments.
The legislator questioned how healthcare workers could be dismissed informally by word of mouth after serving for 9 months, allegedly without the governor’s knowledge.
According to reports, senior county officials orchestrated a scheme that solicited bribes ranging from Sh300,000 to Sh500,000 from unsuspecting job seekers.
The scandal surfaced when the affected workers, despite receiving appointment and deployment letters, discovered their names were missing from the county payroll after months of service in local hospitals.
Odhiambo condemned the mistreatment of Siaya county workers, saying it was unacceptable to treat them as “lesser beings” and declare them unemployed without due process while the governor remained silent.
He further lamented that no Siaya leader had publicly condemned what he termed the county’s largest employment scandal, questioning whether they tacitly supported the rot.
"Right now, there are leaders eyeing the Siaya governorship, including Ugenya MP David Ochieng. I urge him to challenge Orengo, who clearly has no intention of serving the people without corruption," Odhiambo stated.
The MP also called on the EACC to expedite investigations into the nurses’ plight, insisting that if individuals close to Orengo are found culpable, the governor should resign.
“That would mean the governor has been presiding over corruption under the guise of leadership,” Odhiambo said.
Meanwhile, the EACC has already swung into action, raiding the County Public Service Board offices and confiscating the employment letter seal, computers, and other documents critical to the investigation.
Investigators have also summoned all affected healthcare workers to record statements detailing how the scheme was executed.
EACC officials, led by Abraham Kemboi, have vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice, adding that all county departments will be scrutinized to ensure a thorough and conclusive investigation.