A woman identified as Beatrice, from Amung’enti-Igembe of Meru county was arrested and booked at the Kanunu police post for charging Ksh 1000 per day as a service fee for writing NGAAF request proposals for funding and Kshs 200 for the sale of forms.
According to an official from Bishop Hon Mwangaza’s office, she will be transferred to the Maua police station to have her fingerprints taken and then to court to answer the charges.
Beatrice said that she had previously been given the forms, which were exact replicas of the originals. She said that the group approached her and asked for her help in submitting a request proposal for funding.
When the representatives submitted the duplicate copies to Bishop Hon Kawira Mwangaza’s offices, they were informed that they were null and void.
“I was paid Ksh 1000 per day to draft apologies, table banking, and a list of the members’ names. I did it all by myself,” she said.
“They asked me to deliver the forms to Bishop Hon Kawira Mwangaza’s offices in Meru and offered to pay Ksh 1000. As we are in the midst of a pandemic, I informed them that the amount would not be sufficient for lunch and transportation costs,” she said.
“They personally delivered the forms and never responded. I am willing to refund the Ksh 1500 that I received,” she added.
Kananu, Chairlady of Vision two group, said that On April 23, Beatrice called and told her that while she had refused to pick up the forms and apply for funding, another group had received a cheque.
“She stated that she would sell the forms for Ksh 200 each and charge a service fee of Ksh 1000 for filling in the details. I informed the members who contributed Ksh 1000 each at our next group meeting, which I delivered to Beatrice the next day at her home.
“She requested that I return the following day so that we could fill it together. The next day, I gave her all of the group’s information, including the minutes we filled out on the form. When I thought we were finished, she asked me to return the next day to pick up the form because there was some unfinished work on it.
“When she went to pick up the form the next day, she stated that she had not completed all of the details because she was working on many other forms for different groups. She told me to come back later in the day because we were going to deliver it to Bishop Hon Kawira Mwangaza’s office the next day.
“Later that day, I sent my child to retrieve it, but I was so disappointed that I didn’t know what to tell the members because it had been filled incorrectly. Beatrice informed me that if I needed more forms, I could purchase them elsewhere.
“I decided to purchase another one at my own expense, without informing the other members of the group, so that it could be filled with the correct information that I had provided.
“When I arrived at the location where I had been directed, I was greeted by a lady who informed me that the forms are provided free of charge and asked for the chief’s phone number so she could report the incident.
Joseph Michubu, secretary of Vision two group said that they agreed to hire Beatrice because she was a member of another group that had previously received funding.
“Beatrice is a neighbor in whom I have always had faith. Until now, I would not have questioned her decisions. We received no assistance from the chief until we reported the matter to the offices of Bishop Hon Kawira Mwangaza,” he said.
