The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education has raised alarm on irregularities following the Auditor General’s reports on several institutions of higher learning.

The Committee, chaired by Bumula Member of Parliament Jack Wamboka, released the report on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.

According to the report, Thika Technical Training Institute’s records revealed several troubling anomalies, including key lease agreements and approved rental rates that were missing, while the rent register showed only 15 houses rented to employees despite payroll records indicating 43 tenants, raising questions about incomplete revenue records.

“The Institute also lacked approved policies on staff and student housing or facility hiring, and the rates for facility hire had not been updated to reflect current market prices, putting the reported revenue of Ksh546 million in doubt,” reads the report.

Further, payments to Board Members for meeting allowances totalling over Ksh600,000 were made without supporting meeting minutes or prior approval for venues outside the registered office.

“Procurement processes were also flawed, with missing documentation such as pre-qualification lists, tender evaluations, and contract agreements, making it impossible to verify the legitimacy of payments and contracts,” the report notes.

It says that Board Members received accommodation allowances exceeding the approved daily rates, further highlighting poor compliance with financial guidelines.

Similar issues were noted at Machakos University, where advance payments were made without required security bonds and legal services procured without the Attorney General’s approval or service agreements. The University also showed an ethnic imbalance in staffing and prolonged acting appointments beyond legal limits.

At Katine Technical Training Institute, irregularities included excessive travel allowances and extended acting appointments contrary to public service laws.

“Ksh379,000 and Ksh244,500 respectively at Thika Technical Training paid out to board members as sitting allowances for meetings held in hotels,” The Committee noted expenditures.

However, supporting documents such as minutes of deliberations of the meeting and prior written approval of the Committee to hold the meetings away from the registered office were not availed.

As a result, the Committee resolved to visit the Institution on a fact-finding mission on the queries raised.

Further, the Principal of Katine Technical Training Institute was directed to ensure that the travel allowances amounting to Ksh3,036,465 that were irregularly drawn are reimbursed to the Institute.

“The Committee in its deliberations notes that these findings underscored the urgent need for stronger governance, transparency, and adherence to laws across public technical training institutions,” Wamboka said.