Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has raised queries in the livestock development department over irregularities in the supply and delivery of tree seedlings to various counties, amounting to Ksh449.3 million.

Gathungu has also raised a red flag regarding poor workmanship in the drilling of boreholes, despite them gobbling up about Ksh70 million.

Some boreholes, the report says, did not produce water, while in others the water produced was not fit for human consumption.

In the case of six boreholes drilled and equipped in Isiolo (Delbege, Waldiri, Hawaye, Qone Daaba), Turkana (Katilu) and Samburu (Lowobane) at a contract sum of Ksh52 million, with Ksh19.3 million already disbursed, the boreholes were found to be salty and not fit for human consumption or domestic use.

In the case of another four boreholes located in Marsabit (Soito), West Pokot (Kishaunet, Munyan Masol) and Baringo (Kapkiamo), which were drilled at a contract sum of Ksh27 million where an amount of Ksh7 million has been paid, the report says, boreholes were found to be unproductive (dry) with no water.

On seedlings, Gathungu has raised concerns that in some of the counties, the seedlings were not delivered, while in other cases, documents were not availed to prove that they reached the intended beneficiaries.

Unreliable information  

Further, she regretted that some of the seedlings dried before they reached the beneficiaries and thus there was no value for money.

“During the year under review, an expenditure of Ksh449,395,000 was incurred for the procurement of tree seedlings to be issued to various counties. However, unsatisfactory issues were observed,” the report reads.

In Bungoma, for instance, although the state department for livestock development procured and delivered 10,000 avocado seedlings, 2,000 mango seedlings, and 2,000 macadamia seedlings at a cost of Ksh10.49 million to Bungoma, county physical inspection of the tree seedlings in September 2024 revealed a number of anomalies with the seedlings.

Further, the report says that although the department insisted that a total of 14,000 seedlings were indicated to have been delivered in May 2024, a report from the Senator’s office indicated that 5,833 out of the 14,000 seedlings were yet to be distributed adding that the seedlings report provided for audit was dated September 24, 2024, nearly five months after the seedlings were delivered hence its accuracy and authenticity could not be confirmed.

In addition, the report raises concerns that although tree seedlings supplied were received by the County Commissioner’s office and handed over to the Office of the Senator for Bungoma County instead of being distributed through the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project County office as intended, detailed documentation of the distribution of the seedlings to various beneficiaries was not provided for audit.

The report also faults the department for failing to carry out an assessment and feasibility studies since several of the grafted seedlings supplied to the county dried up, and several others were damaged during delivery, an indication that the seedlings were not of the required standard.

Those that dried include macadamia seedlings which the State Department ought to have done a needs assessment and feasibility studies to establish whether they can grow in the region.

“In the circumstances, the regularity and value for money of the expenditure of Ksh10,490,000 on the purchase of seedlings could not be confirmed,” reads the report.