Bungoma Agriculture CEC Mathews Chirasha Makanda and his chief officer John Wasike have denied media reports that they engaged in a fist fight over a deal gone soar.
Chirasha is reported to have landed on Wasike with blows during a meeting that was scheduled to iron out issues of procuring free and subsidized fertilizer to farmers.
An insider in the meeting told Hot News that trouble started when Chirasha insisted that they engage in direct procurement of the fertilizer pointing out a particular company.
His argument was that the time of planting was very close and going through the entire procurement process will mean the fertilizer arrives late after the planting season.
“We don’t want a situation where we take along process and delivering fertilizer late to farmers. At the end of the day, it’s of no benefit to farmers because they would have already planted,”Chirasha is reported to have said
The chief officer is however said to have held the ground saying the tender should be advertised because previous cases of direct procurement landed officers in jail.
“I am the accounting officer and in case we go against the procurement laws, I am the one who will be in trouble, I am not going to accept this,” Wasike is reported to have said.
A verbal altercation is said to have ensued with Chirasha losing his cool and pouncing on his chief officer before members of staff who heard the commotion came in to separate the two.
Speaking to Hot News on phone, Chirasha however vehemently denied the claims saying he never at any time engaged in a fight.
“The last time I fought is when I was in standard three, I am a civilized guy who doesn’t believe in fighting,”he said.
Chirasha blamed the propaganda on malicious and careless media for propagating none issues.
He said if indeed he fought somebody, that person should report to the relevant authorities and not the media.
He said any government officer found propagating such will be dealt with according to the laid down regulations.
Speaking on phone Wasike who initially did not deny being beaten retracted his sentiment saying there might have been differences but at no time was there a fist fight.
“Who gave you this information, there could have been an argument but there was no fight,”he said.