Immigration dept fails to account for over Sh1bn

The Department of Immigration has failed to account for Sh1.47 billion in revenue from issuance of visas and passports, the Office of the Auditor-General has said.

in its latest report on the Interior ministry.

The department’s financial statements show that Sh1.52 billion was collected in the 2013/2014 and the 2014/2015 financial years but an analysis of visa stickers and passports issued to Kenya’s missions showed it should have been Sh2.99 billion.

The report tabled in the National Assembly on Wednesday shows the department also issued several blank passports directly to the missions. Auditors examined records at the missions in London, Berlin, Pretoria and Washington, DC.

“However, the passports were not recorded in the missions’ counter receipt book registers and also not produced for physical audit verification as required…in the Public Finance Management Regulations,” the Auditor-General said.

Among the Sh133 million passports, London had the largest number (Sh93 million), followed by Washington (Sh19.5 million), Pretoria (Sh12.8 million) and Berlin (Sh8.2 million).

The Kenya Police Service was found to have lost Sh14 million by sending a pilot who was supposed to undergo training to fly a fixed-wing plane for training for a helicopter.

She was suspended from the training school.

The report will be scrutinised by the Public Accounts Committee and the accounting officers involved called upon to respond to the audit queries.