Senate summons county chiefs on public funds use

The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee has summoned governors and county assembly clerks to explain the reported plunder of the public funds allocated to their counties.

Committee chairman Boni Khalwale on Monday told the Nation that the committee would from tomorrow start grilling governors over the expenditure captured in the Auditor-General’s report.

“We are saddened by the theft and misuse of devolved funds as captured by the auditor’s reports already tabled before the House,” said Dr Khalwale.

The committee also expected county assemblies to do their part by questioning open theft of resources as detailed in various audit reports.

“We are going to make sure that all the governors who have allowed the looting in their counties are questioned. We are inviting the media to pitch tent at the Senate when we question these individuals so that the whole world can hear the reasons they will give for the plunder.”

Dr Khalwale said that governors must provide answers on the whereabouts of the missing millions and warned that the committee would recommend punitive measures against county chief executive officers who preside over the looting of public resources.

He spoke as Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo complained about the massive looting of funds in the counties, warning that Nyanza was emerging as the greatest loser even as other regions gained from the introduction of devolution.

“It is sad that at the end of the day the people of Nyanza are going to become a laughing stock when the five-year audit on the use of devolved resources is finally undertaken,” the MP said.

Mr Midiwo urged the public in all the four counties in Luo Nyanza to question how money allocated to their counties was being spent.

He called on leaders at all levels in the region to come out and speak against official corruption, adding that it did not pay to fight graft at the national level while ignoring the rot at home.

The auditor’s report has exposed the loss of billions of shillings spent on non-priority projects by some county governments and assemblies.

In Trans Nzoia County, the government spent a whopping Sh129 million on bush clearing, raising serious audit queries.

According to the Auditor-General’s report, the money was paid to various companies that tendered for projects.

“An audit review of expenditure records shows that payments totalling Sh129,277,002 were made to various firms in respect of bush clearing, heavy roads grading and other road maintenance in various county wards,” the report states.

It also exposed a fuel theft syndicate where privately owned cars were fuelled and the bill passed to county governments.

“An audit review of fuel records, including fuel register, detailed orders, invoices and statement of accounts from the fuel suppliers revealed that fuel worth Sh4,174,818 was drawn from a local petrol station by vehicles that were not among vehicles owned by the county government,” said the report.

In Bungoma County, the auditor has recommended that Sh53 million irregularly paid to assembly members as allowances be recovered from the beneficiaries.

The assembly lost Sh53,764,100 due to failure to comply with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission guidelines. The management concurred with the observation and noted its intention to effect recoveries from those paid.

The county government has also been questioned for paying an FM station Sh3.5 million to host talk shows with some county government officials without following procurement procedures.

The auditor has also raised concern over the Sh25 million used to purchase goods without following procurement laws.