How the 25th SGC MUSO Directors illegally allocated themselves shop tenders By Nyamweya Bw’Omari Dikembe Disembe and Obilo kobilo

10 MUSO officials benefited directly from the dubious scandal

They were together when deliberating on how to organize the tendering committee. When going for the LT (Leadership Training) in Mombasa in the name of a workshop, they were together. They were also together when taking the ‘Oath of Allegiance’ in the Students’ Centre.

The 25^th SGC comprises of 12 (MUSO) members:

Mwamburi Mwang’ombe— Chairperson

Judy Waweru— Vice Chairperson

Okeri Orina— Secretary General

Cyprian Obwogo— Finance Director

Silas Ong’aro— Academics Director

David Olando— Security and Accommodation Director

Joyce Wainaina— Catering Director

Patricia Tuwei— Health Director

Simon Kuria— Ass. Secretary General

Brian Mukolwe— Sports Director

Francis Mwangi— Entertainment and Communication Director

Enock Nyariki— Editor-in-Chief

From our investigation series which ran from late last semester to date, The 3^rd Eye can reveal that 10 of the 12 Muso officials involved themselves in the dubious and illegal allocations of tenders.

And, this is how they planned and necessitated the suicidal plot to literally exploit comrades.

After the first advertisement to tender which was issued by the Finance Director Obwogo Cyprian was out, the Muso Chairperson Mwamburi Mwang’ombe nullified the advert through a memo. According to Mwang’ombe, the said advertisement was not sincere as there was a plot by the other directors to share the tenders among themselves. The tendering process was halted until it was later re-advertised by Mr. Obwogo on 25^th April, 2011.

At this time the dust was almost settling but it was still not clear on how the process would be undertaken. The 25^th SGC Muso officials had earlier held series of meetings but had failed to agree on who was to take what. This is said to have prompted the Finance Director to take matters on his hands and declared that he was the one to select the tendering committee members and that the other Muso officials, if interested, were to apply just like the other comrades.

They (Muso officials) were very much against Mr. Obwogo’s decision. The decision also brought about a conflict of ideology between the Muso Chairperson and his Finance Director who now were reading from different scripts. On his part, Mr. Mwamburi felt that Obwogo could not fairly handle the process as he had earlier on deliberated with his colleagues—Muso officials— to share the shops and chips cafés. The matter was later referred to the Dean of Students Mr. Mureithi, who finally rubber stamped Mr. Obwogo’s earlier decision.

Though the Muso Finance Director maintains that the Tendering Process was free and fair, the results of the process are yet to be released months after the tenders were said to have been opened.

Muso officials used ‘other’ names to secure tenders

It is not clear when the tendering committee sat to open the tender application forms, however according to Mr. Obwogo, the committee sat and fairly awarded the tenders. This contradicted his earlier pledge to make the process open to all interested parties and students’ body at large.

Reliable sources privy to the happenings disclosed to The 3^rd Eye Team that the concerned Muso officials used names of ‘other’ students and their cronies in particular to award themselves shops.

Two Muso officials used their brothers’ names to secure Soweto’ Chips Café A and the Soweto Shop adjacent to Hostel J. One of the said directors is an Executive Member of The 25^th SGC who strongly advocated for organizational ownership of shops as his greatest pillar to beat his opponents but now owns the Soweto Shop. The other director teamed up with his fellow director to own and run the Chips Café A which is now facing a court battle (see separate story).