Wamatangi cries foul over misuse of funds

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi. He has raised a red flag over what he said is a well-orchestrated scheme by Kiambu County officials to facilitate the misappropriation of public funds. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • They are the exaggeration of the cost of tenders for various development projects, unwarranted recurrent expenditure and the acquisition of assets at inflated prices.
  • County officers have also been calling unnecessary meetings in a bid to draw hefty allowances, which at times surpass their monthly salaries.

Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi has raised the red flag over what he said is a well-orchestrated scheme by county officials to facilitate the misappropriation of public funds.

Mr Wamatangi on Tuesday said over Sh100 billion out of the nearly Sh300 billion that is allocated to counties annually is misused by the officers, dealing a major blow to devolution.

The lawmaker cited three ways through which the officials loot public funds without being easily noticed.

They are the exaggeration of the cost of tenders for various development projects, unwarranted recurrent expenditure and the acquisition of assets at inflated prices.

Mr Wamatangi, who is also a member of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, said they had established that the cost of most county government tenders is inflated by up to 200 per cent. He said the county officers work in cahoots with those who are awarded the tenders, and share the proceeds when a deal is sealed.

“There is outright misappropriation of funds in counties,” said Mr Wamatangi.

HIRED WORKERS

On recurrent expenditure, Mr Wamatangi said some governors had hired a high number of unnecessary workers, including their political campaigners and henchmen, who have been drawing salaries from public coffers.

According to the senator, county officers have also been calling unnecessary meetings in a bid to draw hefty allowances, which at times surpass their monthly salaries.

“In some counties, they have been calling up to four meetings a day to earn four allowances,” he said.

He further said transparency and accountability must prevail in counties.

Mr Wamatangi said the Public Accounts Committee had been revamped and was ready to deal with the culprits.

He asked the Controller of Budget and the Treasury to also ensure that the systems put in place to monitor whether county funds are used in the right way are empowered enforced.