Scandals taking water down the drain

The Tanathi Water Services Board is losing millions of shillings through mismanagement and rampant corruption.

A report of a regulatory agency also cites duplication of roles between the board and the parent ministry, which makes provision of services and accountability difficult.

Water boards were set up across the country in reforms that were meant to improve the quality and supply of the product to Kenyans to lift their living standards.

However, if the findings of the Water Services Regulatory Board (Wasreb) report are anything to go by, most of the millions of shillings being poured into the sector are ending up in the pockets of corrupt individuals.

Operates in 32 districts

Tanathi Water Services Board (TWSB) is one of eight similar institutions established under reforms in the sector initiated during the tenure of Ms Martha Karua as minister.

It is based in Kitui Town and operates in 32 districts in Eastern province. Under it, are four water service providers — Machakos Water and Sewerage Company, Nol-Turesh, Kiambere-Mwingi and Kathiani Water and Sanitation Company.

Other boards are Rift Valley Water Services Board, Athi Water Services Board, Coastal Water Services Board, Lake Victoria South Water Services Board, Lake Victoria North Water Services Board and Northern Water Services Board.

The report recommends that the boards come up with watertight controls on use of funds, adherence to public procurement guidelines as well as corporate governance.

It alleges rampant embezzlement of funds, lack of accountability and duplication of roles between Tanathi Water Services Board and the parent Water and Irrigation ministry.

This, the inspection report says has contributed to massive loss of resources through unplanned projects, with many others remaining unfinished.

Arising from the report, a group of 40 civil society organisations in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector under the umbrella of Kewasnet has written to the Tanathi Water Services Board chief executive officer Joseph Nzesya and Water minister Charity Ngilu for clarification on the various procurement challenges the Wasreb report recorded.

Kewasnet secretary-general Stephen Mutoro claims some of the firms that were awarded tenders were Kitui-based NGOs. Yet others are companies associated with senior officers of the board in clear conflict of interest.

As a result of the Kewasnet letter, Water permanent secretary David Stower wrote to Mr Nzesya seeking clarifications to the allegations which he described as “very serious”.

Mr Stower’s letter, dated August 9, was received at Tanathi on August 11. The PS had wanted a response within 14 days.

However, efforts to speak to Mr Nzesya as we went to press were unsuccessful as his phone was not answered.

Mr Stower said the matter was being handled but faulted the manner in which it had been leaked to the press.

‘‘We cannot have a government if confidential letters are leaked to the media,’’ he said by telephone on Sunday.

Wasreb carried out the inspection to establish whether licence conditions were being met “and that value for money is being obtained while fulfilling licence conditions”.

The institution regulates implementation of policies and strategies relating to provision of water and sewerage services.

It also sets rules and enforces standards that guide the sector towards ensuring that consumers are protected and have access to efficient, adequate, affordable and sustainable services.

The mismanagement of the Kitui-based board is slowly eating away the organisation, the report says.

For instance, the board buys pipes for the four service providers without requisitions from the latter. Additionally, while purchase could be destined for a certain WSP, stores records indicated the issuance was made to a different provider, casting doubt as to whether such purchase was ever made.

A case in point, the report noted, involves pipes worth Sh10.9 million procured for Nol-Turesh but received at Kathiani.

“On further inquiry, there was no project of that magnitude undertaken at Kathiani, and it was not clear how the pipes were used,” the report says.

The inspection found that the procurement and stores system in the board are weak and susceptible to abuse.

The Tanathi Water Services Board also accused of uneconomical use of funds. For instance, the board engaged an engineer to supervise the construction of Manguva Dam who was paid night out and mileage allowances.

Two invoices show that the engineer was paid Sh429,612 for nine days and mileage and another Sh513, 996 for 10 days night-out and mileage on a second invoice.

The report recommends that TWSB engages the engineer on contract employment.

On the same note, under the Kazi kwa Vijana programme, equipment was bought at prices that far exceeded the prevailing market rates.

“For instance, a batch of hand tools was bought at 300 per cent more than the prevailing market rate,” the inspection report states.

Fork jembes, for example, were bought at Sh1,500 each, against the Sh360 market price, while pangas were bought at Sh720 against a market price of Sh200.

The inspection observed that the board had drilled many boreholes without equipping them. For instance, 10 boreholes that were drilled in September 2009 were not equipped.

“Twenty more boreholes were drilled in 2008/2009 under the drought mitigation programme and not equipped by February 2010.

“It appears that drilling of the boreholes focuses on numbers instead of the impact the boreholes will have on the people,” Wasreb says in the inspection report.

“By having two supervising authorities, none may be held accountable for the work done and the sub-sector risks losing funds due to double funding of activities,” the report notes.

Other ills noted include poor corporate governance at WSPs.

For instance, Machakos Water and Sewerage Company spent 23 per cent of the total budget on operation and maintenance expenditures in the last six months against a corporate governance guideline of less than two per cent.