Members of County Assembly in the western Kenya – Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vigiga and Trans Nzoia – have been put on the spot for allegedly using their positions to influence the award of tenders in their wards.

The MCAs have also been under the spotlight for using threats of impeachment against county executives who decline requests to allocate them employment slots for their relatives.

As a result, governors have been forced to constantly reshuffle the executive members when they clash with the MCAs to save them from the County Assembly axe.

Already, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is investigating six MCAs in Bungoma County who are accused of using 41 proxy companies linked to associates and family members to get tenders worth Ksh144 million.

EACC Regional Director for Western Kenya Eric Ngumbi said that, as a result of blackmail by members of county assemblies to get tenders and have their relatives recruited, the responsibility of county assemblies to exercise oversight of accountability in the executive has been compromised.

He said that lack of effective oversight by the county assembly as required by the law created a loophole for corruption to thrive. Ngumbi was speaking when he opened the Corruption Prevention Forum for County Executive Committee Members (CECM) and Chief Officers of Kakamega County on Monday.

He warned that trading with counties governments puts county officials at risk of sanctions outlined under the Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, which was recently signed into law by the president.

He urged governors of the 34 counties where Corruption Risk Assessment has been undertaken by EACC to implement the EACC recommendations, which would significantly reduce the levels of corruption currently witnessed even as EACC continues with investigations.

Kakamega County Secretary Lawrence Omuhaka said the county government would continue to work with EACC in the fight against corruption.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Moses Wekesa