Cotu, Francis Atwoli want the State advertiser disbanded
Central Organisation of Trade Union Secretary-General Francis Atwoli speaks during a past event. He has has raised the red flag on what he said was massive misuse of funds at the Government Advertising Agency. PHOTO | JARED NYATAYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The Government Advertising Agency is reeling under Sh430 million debt which it owes to different media organisations and firms that have advertised with the government.
- The agency was formed after the Jubilee administration took office in what it said was to centralise all government advertising placements on various media outlets and to improve uniformity.
The umbrella workers’ trade union has raised the red flag on what it says is massive misuse of funds at the government’s central advertising agency.
The Government Advertising Agency (GAA) is reeling under a Sh430 million debt, which it owes to different media organisations and firms for government advertising.
The agency was formed after the Jubilee administration took office in what it said was to centralise all government advertising placements on various media outlets and to improve uniformity.
In a statement, the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), led by Francis Atwoli, said the agency had been taken over by unscrupulous individuals who were diverting funds from the unit.
“The agency has since been invaded by corruption-thirsty individuals in the name of government to solicit bribes as well as divert the very cash meant for advertising into their pockets,” said Mr Atwoli in a statement.
But GAA head Dennis Chebitwey dismissed the claims as “generalised”, saying they had no specifics.
“Let Cotu name those individuals it says have infiltrated the agency. We deal with media houses directly, but if Cotu has information on people masquerading as our agents out there, let them name them,” he said.
AGENCY 'UNDERFUNDED'
Mr Chebitwey said the agency was working above board and could account for every cent it had received from the National Treasury.
However, he said the agency had debts because it is underfunded.
Out of the Sh800 million it had asked for, it got only Sh311 million, Mr Chebitwey said.
“The problem in the agency has never been loss of money. It is that the advertising requests are many and we were given Sh430 million short in our budget funding,” he said.
“We have asked the Treasury to release the remaining amount so we can clear our debts,” he added.
In the Cotu's statement, the union said the Ministry of Information must move fast to disband the agency and order an audit, warning that delaying such an action may lead to further loss of public funds.
“Kenyans will soon be treated to yet another scam where government will be forced to pay millions of money to various advertisers, including newspapers, in arrears when the same cash had already been released through GAA but never reached these advertisers,” Mr Atwoli said.
