NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 27 - The controversy pitting the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) deepened on Tuesday, with two Permanent Secretaries trading words.

Special Programmes Permanent Secretary Ali Mohammed told off his Internal Security counterpart Francis Kimemia and maintained that all was well in the funds management.

This follows recent claims by Mr Kimemia that some 43 senior officials in the two ministries were under investigation over alleged misappropriation of Sh100 million which had been allocated for the IDP’s resettlement.

“To the best of my knowledge, that does not exist, if it does, of course the relevant government agencies should take charge and arraign these people in court. It is one thing to claim and throw out figures to the press it is another to take real action,” Mr Mohammed told a media briefing when he launched the Nakumatt/Molo Fire victims report.

And he added: “Who are these perpetrators, charge them in court, arraign them and surcharge them to refund the monies that are alleged to have been lost.”

The PS denied he was shielding any official alleged to have misappropriated any amount of money but insisted, he was not aware of “such large sums of money running into millions lost.”

“Of course I am not in any way trying to exonerate anybody that no malpractice or impropriety might have happed, but to the tune of Sh800 million, that is a mockery,” he said in response to the earlier claims by the Internal Security PS who had stated that up to Sh100 million may have been misappropriated.

“Figures we have are up to Sh 00m to show that money was paid to IDPs. Up to 43 officials are under investigations to establish if the money was lost or if they are the ones who have not accounted for them,” Mr Kimemia had said.

“I can for sure tell you that 100 percent of genuine IDPs have all been resettled, the stories you hear from people are the ones who are not genuine, they are trying to defraud the government,” he said.

The PS said the government was currently working to purchase land to resettle those who were affected during the 2007 crisis.