How billions are wasted on ‘useless’ trips

Counties are spending millions of public funds on foreign trips that add no value to the devolved units.

Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee chairman Boni Khalwale observed that some are travelling for leisure at taxpayers’ expense and that when the auditors come calling, they refuse to surrender the required documents.

He warned that those found to have irregularly pocketed public funds will be surcharged.

Dr Khalwale cited Makueni officials, whom he faulted for travelling to Israel to visit tourist sites and religious shrines.

This trip had nothing to do with the county’s development agenda, said the Kakamega senator.

The county assembly also irregularly spent Sh3.6 million on subsistence and travelling allowances, for workshops they did not attend in the end, according to a report by the Auditor-General for the 2013/14 financial year.

“There is a serious problem with management of foreign travels, leading to trips whose programmes do not conform to the mandate of the county assembly,” said Dr Khalwale.

Dr Khalwale, who spoke to the Nation on Sunday, was accompanied by his colleagues Mutula Kilonzo Jr (Makueni, Wiper), Mong’are Bw’okong’o (Nyamira, Ford-K) and Hassan Omar (Mombasa, Wiper).

PUNITIVE MEASURES
Dr Khalwale said the committee had resolved that the money must be recovered from those responsible and warned governors and Speakers against flouting the Constitution as they seek to please MCAs.

He also said most of the queries by the Auditor-General result from weak internal audit systems. Some counties don’t have internal auditors.

“The absence of internal audit departments is a landmine for the affected counties as the department helps (to) prevent loss of public funds,” said Dr Khalwale.

The committee will push to amend the Public Audit Act to introduce punitive action against those who deliberately withhold documents from the auditors.

“They want to make it difficult for the auditors to complete their work yet they have constitutional timelines. Currently, there are no sanctions for those who frustrate the auditors,” he said.

The Makueni County Assembly, led by Speaker Stephen Ngelu and Clerk Edward Libendi, said ceilings on expenditure introduced by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission have reduced wastage.

“These were teething challenges that we are now moving away from,” said Mr Ngelu.