Former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo Admits Bypassing Procurement Rules to Save Starving Residents
“Your honor,” he said, “I made the decision to bypass procurement regulations because my people were starving-John Lonyangapuo
Former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo testifies at the Eldoret Law Courts in a KSh 17 million maize procurement case involving six former county officials and a cereal trader who served during his administration
Former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo surprised a courtroom in Eldoret when he admitted that, eight years ago, he authorized the purchase of KSh 17 million worth of white maize without adhering to the standard procurement procedures.
Testifying before Senior Principal Magistrate Richard Odenyo, Lonyangapuo — now the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the North Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency — explained that he used direct sourcing to urgently procure 20,000 bags of maize due to what he described as a dire humanitarian crisis.
“Your honor,” he said, “I made the decision to bypass procurement regulations because my people were starving. I couldn’t sit back and watch them die from hunger and drought while waiting for red tape to clear.”
The court heard that Lonyangapuo had convened a county Cabinet meeting that approved the emergency purchase from neighboring Trans Nzoia County. He insisted the move was necessary and life-saving.
“We acted the way we did because of the situation on the ground,” he added. “It was a matter of saving lives.”
The former governor was appearing as a witness in a case involving six senior county officials and a cereal trader, all accused of involvement in a KSh 17 million maize procurement scandal during Lonyangapuo’s tenure. The accused — Dr. Mike Parklea (former County Secretary), Solomon Mereng, Alice Chepkosgei, Joseph Lolamtumtum, Elvis Mwanga, Titus Mayech, and trader Margaret Tuitoek — are alleged to have committed the offenses between October 2017 and July 2018. All have pleaded not guilty and are currently out on bond.
Lonyangapuo vigorously defended his administration, stating that the maize procurement was conducted transparently under the circumstances. He also claimed that original payment vouchers were seized by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers during a raid, forcing the county to rely on photocopies to pay suppliers.
“The EACC took all the original documents. We had no choice but to use copies to ensure suppliers were paid for the maize they had already delivered to National Cereals and Produce Board depots,” he said.
He concluded by stating that delaying payment or adhering strictly to the procurement bureaucracy would have put lives at risk.
Magistrate Odenyo is expected to deliver a ruling in the matter on July 23.
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