Two activists have gone to court to challenge the decision by Homa Bay County government to demolish an animal feeds factory located in Arujo, outskirts of Homa Bay town.
Evance Oloo and Eugine Obisa claimed the demolition was being done unprocedurally.
The county government decided to demolished the factory and, in its place, construct a new county headquarters.
Mr Oloo and Mr Obisa claimed the demolition was carried out without adherence to the procedures stipulated under the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015 (PPADA) and related regulations.
They asked for information regarding the valuation of the building before it was demolished.
“The building was being demolished without a professional valuation which is crucial for ensuring the county government gets value for money,” Mr Oloo said.
He wrote letters to roads, finance, procurement, public works departments to protest the demolition.
Oloo asked for evidence that demolition of the old building was approved by relevant authorities including the executive for finance and Asset Disposal Committee.
He claimed that there is no clear disposal plan developed, outlining the method of disposal, the reason for the demolition and the expected benefit.
Oloo claimed the county government did not employ open tendering process, which is a requirement for disposal of public assets. “Failure to advertise the disposal publicly raises concerns about transparency,” read the letter.
Oloo also asked the county government to account for materials salvaged from the demolition.
He said if at all the building was condemned, the public should see evidence from structural engineers.
The construction of the new office has also been challenged in court.
By Davis Langat
