Auditor exposes Sh6.5b unsupported spending

Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has yet again accused Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA) over unsupported expenditures totalling to Sh6.5 billion. The money comprised Sh3.4 billion for 10 MDA’s and Sh3.1billion for 13 donor funded projects respectively.

In a summary report for the MDAs for the year 2020-202, Gathungu regretted that failure by the said entities to support payments cast doubts on the authenticity of the expenditures which is an indication of weak controls and governance in the entities affected.

“During the year under review, the audit revealed unsupported expenditures totalling to Sh6,475,046, 711,” reads the report.

Among the MDA’s fingered include Ministries of Health (MOH) and Energy as well as the State department for Devolution, Department of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Blue economy and the Department for Crop Development and Agricultural research.

Others are Vocational Training, Department for Petroleum, Department for Wildlife, Department for Public Service and Department for University Education and Research.

With regards to MoH, Gathungu raised queries over unsupported Sh17.7 million for drug rehabilitation at the Coast General Hospital and a further Sh11.3 million paid to the Solicitor General for case number 626 of 2017. Ministry of Energy on the other hand has unsupported payments totalling to Sh4.3 million made at the close of the financial year and another Sh2.2 million paid to the sub-committee on the finalisation of the budget.

Certified seeds

State department for Wildlife had an unsupported expenditure of Sh10 million spent on the purchase of certified seeds for the Kenya Wildlife Services while the State department for Public Service had unsupported expenditures amounting to Sh45.6million in respect to 12 expenditure items. State department for Vocational and Technical Training had the highest unsupported expenditures amounting to Sh1.9 billion that was spent on various items.

Part of the money includes Sh3.2 million spent on utilities and services payments relating to district expenditures, Sh1 million described as correction of electricity expenditure charged in a wrong account. There is also Sh2 million in respect of rental payments for district offices that was not supported by lease agreements as well as unsupported training allowances paid t staff amounting to Sh14.96 million.

Others are an amount of Sh722.1 million that was in respect of contractors undertaking constructions at various technical training institutes and direct payment for two projects amounting to Sh1.1 billion for specialised materials and service made to an international supplier by financing bank for supply of goods delivered on various Tivet institutions.

There is also an amount of Sh36.4 million with respect to staff work plans and rent arrears for office space and service charge at Teleposta towers.

“The payments for specialised material and services included unsupported imprests surrendered by staff in respect to travel,” reads the report.

Devolution department on the other hand has queries amounting to Sh8.9 million relating to domestic travel and Sh945.7 million relating to unsupported acquisition of maize in the state department for Crop and Agricultural Research.