A Ministry of Local Government and Public Works official, Kenneth Nyakujawa (39), has been sentenced to 12 months in prison by the Bulawayo Magistrates Court for failing to disclose a personal interest in a government transaction.
Nyakujawa, who serves as the District Public Works Officer for Ingutsheni District in Bulawayo, pleaded guilty to the charges.
Six months of his sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while the remaining six months were suspended on condition that he completes 210 hours of community service.
The court heard that sometime in 2024, Nyakujawa visited Founders High School in his official capacity to assess and prepare a bill of quantities for painting work that the Public Works Department was scheduled to carry out.
However, in December 2024, he allegedly told the school that the department lacked sufficient human resources for the job and advised them to hire his private company, Rota Cons Engineering (Pvt) Ltd.
The company was subsequently awarded a contract worth US$2,002 to paint the school’s administration block, its roof, and the front of an adjacent classroom.
The court found that Nyakujawa acted in a clear conflict of interest by supervising the work both as the director of Rota Cons Engineering and as the District Public Works Officer.
He also failed to produce site handover certificates and site supervision reports, a deliberate move to conceal the transaction from his superiors.
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