Malava MP Mr. Peter Soita Shitanda at a past function. [PHOTO|File|West Fm]

Housing Minister and Malava Constituency MP Soita Shitanda finally succeeded in blocking the National Taxpayer’s Association (NTA) from releasing its report on utilization of the funds in the area. 

Earlier, the minister who is currently under siege following the Housing Finance Corporation (HFC) saga, had warned the watchdog against releasing the report. 

NTA has been releasing such reports in other constituencies in Western Kenya without resistance pointing out where the funds were appropriately used and where they were not. 

Together with the constituency CDF officials, Shitanda argued that the NTA was not a recognized organization with the ministry of Planning despite the organization having released such reports in many constituencies across the country. 

As the watchdog organization was planning to set foot in Malava constituency on Friday July 27, 2012, they were informed that the venue they were supposed to use had been booked in advance by another group for another function. 

The Municipal Council of Malava informed the NTA that the venue had been booked and asked officials to postpone their planned function to another date. 

Due to the hostile reaction by the Malava CDF officials and the MP, NTA officials had feared there could breakout chaos or even could have been attacked would they have gone ahead with the exercise despite assurance from the OCPD that security would have been beefed up. 

Informed by this, the organization then cancelled its planned exercise to a later date that has not been released yet. 

Speaking in Bungoma County while releasing another report, Mr. Martin Napisa the coordinator of NTA programmes called upon leaders to cooperate with them saying NTA is a corruption free organization and the reports they release are genuine and reflect the true picture. 

He went on to explain that thorough research is done by professionals before the reports are released to the various County Councils and constituencies insisting the information gathered is the truth that is given out. 

Mr. Martin said that the release of CDF LATF projects reports were being done all over the country and not in few selected units hence people should not get worried about the reports.