Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho is on the spot over spending of Sh54 million for the Mombasa Cultural Festival where the supplies for the event such as car stickers, umbrellas, t-shirts and billboards were delivered days after the event/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 8 – The Auditor General has exposed serious misappropriation of funds by former and sitting Governors in reports for the year 2015/2016 which were tabled in the Senate on Tuesday.
The report tabled on the floor of the House by Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, has exposed twenty counties of massive misappropriation of public funds and massive theft.
In his report, Nakuru and Samburu have been adversely mentioned by Ouko whereas the other 18 Counties have been placed as disclaimers due to failure to provide required documents for audit.
Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho is on the spot over spending of Sh54 million for the Mombasa Cultural Festival where the supplies for the event such as car stickers, umbrellas, t-shirts and billboards were delivered days after the event.
“Audit verification of the propriety expenditure amounting to Sh23million for the year ended 30 June 2016 could not be confirmed. In addition, audit verifications revealed that payments amounting to Sh10 million was paid to Djs, MCs and other artistes was not accounted for,” Ouko said.
In Nairobi for instance, Ouko’s report faulted former Governor Evans Kidero for not accounting for parking fees from 795,600 vehicles despite collecting over Sh2 billion accrued from street parking.
“Examination of parking systems reports maintained by the County Government indicated that of the 2,117,165 vehicles eligible to pay parking fees at the designated street parking lots during the year under review only 1,321,565 vehicles paid,” Ouko said.
Former Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua is accused of paying Sh9.89 million to contract M/S Summer Winter Events Management to organize and conduct the 2015 Miss Tourism Pageant in Nakuru’s 11 sub-counties.
The report indicates that there were no supporting documents to prove that the event ever took place.
“Audit interviews with several sub-county administrators revealed that they were not aware of the event. In the circumstance, it has not been possible to establish whether the event took place or not. The expenditure therefore may not have been a proper charge to the public funds,” Ouko says.
Ouko’s report also unraveled that Sh4.5 million meant for the purchase of fertilizer for the Internally Displaced Persons in Nakuru could not be accounted for as there were no receipts to back the purchase of the fertilizer.
“In my opinion, the financial statements do not present fairly the financial position of the County Executive of Nakuru as at 30 June 2016 and of its financial performance and its cash flows for the year in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards and do not comply with the Public Finance Management Act, 2012,” Ouko said.
Nyamira County Governor, John Nyagarama is on the spot for spending Sh4 million of tax payers money to fence his private residential homes in Matutu and Mosobeti. Ouko discloses that Sh2.97 million was paid on 23rd June 2016 for the fencing.
The agreement was signed on 6th June 2014 between the Executive and unnamed local company to do the work at a contract sum of Sh13.96 million.
“The Executive contravened the provisions of Section b (x) of Gazette Notice No. 2888 of February 28, 2013 which states that the Governor shall be housed by the State and provided with all commensurate home utilities and attendants subject to review by Salaries and Remuneration Commission from time to time,” Ouko says.
The Sh13.96 million contract also involved erection of a razor wire of 980mm diameter at Sh448,000 at the governor’s official residence in Nyamira, installation of CCTV system worth Sh3.99 million and electric fence worth619,800 in a leased house. The house’s monthly rent was Sh50,000 acquired on May 2, 2013 for three years.
Ouko said Sh13.96 million used on the project should have been used to construct Nyagarama’s official residence.
“The wall put up at the governor’s Matutu private home had collapsed as at the time of our audit inspection on October 26, 2016, an indication that the contractor had carried out shoddy work,” he says.
About The Author
