Marende rejects youth programme audit report

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende has rejected two copies of the controversial Kazi Kwa Vijana audit report presented in Parliament last Wednesday.

The documents presented by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Ikolomani MP Dr Boni Khalwale were rejected on the basis that they don’t meet the required threshold for admission in Parliament.

Both were alleged to have been genuine copies of the report by the World Bank on the spending of the Kazi Kwa Vijana, where some money was alleged to have been misappropriated.

“A careful study of the document(s) has revealed that it is not signed and does not have a forwarding letter or details of the author. In addition, efforts to access it on the World Bank website have been futile as it is apparently not posted,” said Mr Marende.

The report tabled by Mr Mudavadi had been titled: “Kenya Portfolio: Financial Management Supervision June-2011: Interim Unvalidated Report: FM In-depth review- 13 September 2011.”

It had also been marked as “Strictly Confidential” and for “Internal World Bank View Only” meaning it would have been impossible to find it on the website unprotected.

Mr Marende said that although the two documents by Mr Musalia and Dr Khalwale were different, they appeared to make the same conclusion on the misappropriated money.

The DPM told Parliament last week it would be too early to tell whether money has been lost under the KKV programme as the initial report had indicated some 13 expenses amounting to Sh33 million were improper.

Two copies of a press statement by the World Bank on the matter tabled by Mr Mudavadi were however admitted and will form part of the evidence to Parliament.

The upshot of the rejection of the documents by Mr Marende is that Prime Minister Raila Odinga would have to present fresh reports when he makes his statement to the House this afternoon.

Mr Marende ruled last week that the Prime Minister would still have to answer questions on the KKV asked by Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa the previous week.

The matter has raised quite a furore in Parliament, with the Public Accounts Committee scheduled to meet officials from the World Bank on Thursday.

Dr Khalwale revealed on Monday that PAC had suspected something was going on at KKV and had requested for a special audit on it, which will also inform their final report.

Mr Wamalwa said over the weekend a motion to have MPs reprimand the PM would be filed but there is no word yet on anything to that effect in Parliament.