Former Bungoma Governor Wangamati Demands Accountability for KSh 600 Million Bursary Fund, Rejects Christmas Tree Spending Claims
Former Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has called on the current county administration led by Governor Kenneth Lusaka to provide a clear public explanation on the fate of KSh 600 million allocated for bursaries and scholarships during the 2022/2023 financial year. Speaking to the press in Bungoma Town on Thursday, Wangamati accused the present leadership of discontinuing a key education support programme that benefited thousands of vulnerable learners.
According to Wangamati, his administration had set aside the KSh 600 million to support more than 30,000 students from poor backgrounds through bursaries and scholarships. He claimed the funds were fully allocated before he left office in 2022. However, he alleged that the incoming administration under Governor Lusaka scrapped the programme, declaring the education kitty unconstitutional. “The biggest problem facing the people of Bungoma today is how to help children from poor backgrounds access quality education because the scholarship program was scrapped,” Wangamati stated.
He further criticized the current leadership for prioritizing what he described as non-essential matters while neglecting core public needs. “Instead of addressing these fundamental issues, leaders are busy focusing on matters that are not priorities for the people,” he said, pointing to ongoing complaints from residents about dilapidated roads, persistent drug shortages in county hospitals, and the ongoing strike by Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) teachers demanding delayed salaries, promotions, and gratuity payments.
The former governor also addressed recent audit queries raised during Senate Public Accounts Committee (PAC) proceedings, where allegations surfaced that KSh 3.6 million in imprest was used to procure or light a Christmas tree. Wangamati firmly denied the claim, explaining that the amount was issued in September 2019 for a benchmarking trip by members of the Bungoma County Assembly’s Public Service Management Committee to Mbale, Uganda—not for any festive decoration.
He clarified that the imprest was cashed by the then deputy clerk of the County Assembly, Francis Tome, and disbursed to assembly members, including those on the relevant committee chaired by former Kabuyefwe/Naitiri MCA Joan Lutakai. Wangamati stressed he had no direct involvement in the matter and described attempts to link it to the executive as “malicious and politically motivated propaganda.” He questioned the timing logic behind the Christmas tree narrative: “Even if it were for a Christmas tree, for God’s sake, can you buy a Christmas tree in September for an event in December? It doesn’t make sense at all.”
Wangamati urged institutional accountability from the County Assembly and the county government, rather than dragging the executive into the issue. He also faulted Bungoma Senator Wafula Wakoli for inadequate oversight, noting that such matters should be resolved through proper legislative channels.
The former governor’s statements come amid heightened scrutiny of Bungoma County’s public finances, including ongoing Senate audits and public service delivery challenges. No immediate response from Governor Lusaka or his administration was quoted in the press briefing, though the discontinuation of the scholarship programme has been attributed to constitutional concerns by the current leadership.
As debates over accountability and service delivery intensify in Bungoma, Wangamati’s demands have reignited discussions on the management of devolved education funds and the need for transparent governance in the county. Residents and stakeholders await further clarification from the county government on the bursary allocations and related audit issues.
