Pnu Suppliers Face Auction Over Debts

PNU Suppliers Face Auction Over Debts Date: Fri 14th March 2008 Mediahouse: Nairobi Star Page: 5

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BY FRANCIS OPENDA PNU is holding more than Sh15 million which is due to suppliers of various goods and services three months after the elections, leaving some of the businesses at the mercy of auctioneers. And insiders say the figure is just a fraction of the entire amount the party owed supplies. Sources inside the party indicated that the outstanding sum could be about Sh70 million. The amount was owed in form of office rent countrywide, transport, supplies of campaign material and salaries and allowances for staff and poll agents. Despite camping at the PNU offices and at the Maendeleo Resource Trust which took over the activities of Kibaki Tena campaign, the suppliers have been given promises. The traders supplied various goods ranging from badges for PNU poll agents, caps, tents and decorations, women's lessos and T-shirts and nomination registers. They also supplied transport vehicles, carried out promotions and set up .the PNU elections database. Sammy Mucheru - whose firm Easy Ride supplied 40 cars for campaign coordinators - is owed Sh6 million. "Creditors are now on my neck and six Prados belonging to my company have already been seized by financiers," said Mucheru. Mucheru suffered double tragedy in the post election violence when his home in Molo burnt. He said initially there were weekly payments but with time they started falling back. Businesswoman Tina Tuja supplied 8,500 lessos at the cost of Sh250 each and 10,000 TShirts at Sh170 each. However, out of the sum of Sh3,825,000, she only received a payment of Sh500,000 with the balance of Sh3,325,000 still outstanding.

Other suppliers owed include Francis Munyeki of CAD Creations Ltd who is demanding Sh1.2 million for setting up the PNU polls data base, Arnet Ltd (Sh2.6) million for supply of nomination registers, John Ibae of Badge Masters who provided badges for all PNU agents (Sh600,000), Priscilla Muigai of KanPris Enterprises (Sh529,000) for transport, Consolata Waithaka of Leacom Ltd Sh429,000 for supplying caps and hats. Others are Philip Njiru of Ossen Tours (Sh 220,000) for car hire, RoseCate Ltd (ShI85,000) for promotions and supplies and Abu Kimani of Shape-Up Investments Investments (ShI51,000) for tents and decorations. Last week the suppliers barricaded the entrance to PNU headquarters on Lenana Road with cars for two days and left after they were promised payment by last Friday. But none had received payment. The suppliers were instead informed by Louise Thuo who works at the Maendeleo Resource Trust - that she was yet to receive the final Jist of suppliers from the PNU secretariat to prepare payment. But when contacted yesterday, Thuo said she was not an employee of PNU and had not signed any of the"voicedor the supplies. "I also stopped being an employee of Maendeleo Resource Trust where 1 was working as an administrator on 31st January," she said on telephone. Said she: "These people are . only seeing me as an easy target. Wily don't they deal with the people who signed the invoices?" However, when we visited the MRT offices on Denis Pritt Road, we confirmed that she was still in their employment and was the one who had been paying the suppliers after receiving instructions from PNU. An accountant at PNU, a Mr Karanja, said the outstanding payment will be made "but the time frame is the issue". He said the decision to pay was being made elsewhere and not at the PNU headquarters. Those responsible for the funds included KenGen managing director Eddy Njoroge, his Kenya Airports Authority counterpart George Muhoho and Lee Karuri. Some of the invoices were signed by Karuri and Muhoho.

Last Edited: Fri 14th March 2008 at 08:06:28 PM