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MPs seek probe into use of Kazi Kwa Vijana cash
MPs have asked for a special audit of funds so far released for the Kazi kwa Vijana (jobs for youth) project. They say it is necessary to determine value for money. The issue came up after Prime Minister Raila Odinga issued a statement to the House during his time on Wednesday afternoon.
He indicated that Treasury had released some Sh3.1 billion for the project this financial year although the funds were yet to be disbursed. Some Sh2.6 billion was disbursed in the last financial year, he told the House. Under the programme, youths have been employed through line ministries in activities such as road maintenance, tree planting, construction of dams and digging of boreholes.
A huge amount of the money has been spent on routine road maintenance activities, the House heard. The programme, Mr Odinga said, had experienced teething problems which had attracted criticism from some Kenyans. Cases of misuse and misappropriation had also been reported. He said he had directed staff in line ministries to correct mistakes that had so far been experienced.
Mr Ekwe Ethuro (Turkana Central, PNU and a member of the CDF committee differed with the PM on whether he had engaged the parliamentary committee in discussions on how to manage the kitty. The PM had said it had been agreed with Treasury that the same machinery used to manage the newly introduced economic stimulus package be also used in managing the KKV programme.
Mr David Njuguna (Lari, PPK) said it was important that the PM provides the House with a report on how much of the funds had been misappropriated and what action had been taken to create confidence in the programme.
Meanwhile, the frontbench on Wednesday scuttled Parliament’s move to allow retirees to access their pensions as soon as they leave active employment. Finance Assistant Minister Oburu Oginga disrupted debate on the Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2009 during its Second Reading.
Dr Oginga alerted the temporary deputy Speaker Philip Kaloki over a lack of quorum in the House at a time when there were only six MPs in the debating chambers.
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