Audit report shows Prisons bought faulty bullet proof kits

The Prisons Department is on the spot for spending Sh172 million on defective bullet proof vests and jackets, putting the lives of wardens in great danger.

At the same time, the department bought firewood that was never weighed to determine the capacity and amount to be paid.

A report by Auditor-General Edward Ouko for the 2016-2017 financial year revealed that the 600 body armour jackets were delivered to the department without the ballistic plates that offer protection against bullets and other pointed objects.

NO BALLISTIC TESTS

When she appeared before the Public Account Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly Tuesday, Correctional Services Principal Secretary Zeinab Hussein revealed that the bullet proof jackets costing Sh22 million and vests valued at Sh21 million were delivered to the department without ballistic tests.

“The local purchase order raised only requested for bullet proof jackets as stated in the specifications. The ballistic plate is an additional item in the specifications which was not included in the order,” Ms Hussein told the committee chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi.

Ballistic tests by the department revealed that they could only withstand bullet penetration for short-range calibre weapons.

But the PS defended the purchase, stating that they were on a pilot basis and training at the Prisons Staff Training College and not for combat purposes.

COST

But this did not go down well with the MPs after it emerged that they were bought at Sh70,000 per unit. The MPs said the figure was exaggerated.

Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu, who is a retired military officer, said the equipment bought by the department are for use by civilians and not security officers, who, most of the time, are targeted by high calibre rifles.

On the firewood, the PS said that the department does not have weighing scales for the vehicles.

“We rely on the estimations through observations when the firewood deliveries come,” she said.

It also emerged that the department has accumulated Sh6.2 billion in pending bills for the last couple of years, raising the question of whether they are genuine.

Ms Hussein said that pending bills amounting to Sh288 million reflected in records at the headquarters could not be traced to the records in the prisons where food rations were said to have been delivered.