Another 30 constituencies are on the spot over non-completion of projects, questionable spending amounting to millions of shillings and irregular allocation of bursaries.

A scan through reports of the Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, for various National Government- Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) for the year ending June 2024 revealed a sorry state of affairs, as in some instances the constituencies were in breach of the law and in others there was no value in the money spent.

For instance, in the case of bursaries, the report has painted scenarios where cheques have been written and not deposited, while in other cases, crucial documents such as a list of beneficiaries for secondary schools and acknowledgement letters from the receiving secondary schools were not availed for audit.

In the case of projects, the reports have revealed how some of the projects have stalled despite gobbling up millions of shillings, while in other cases, the projects were yet to take off.

Among the constituencies in question include Mathira under MP Eric Wa Mumbi, Mwingi Central (Gideon Mulyungi), Mwatate (Peter ), Budalangi ( Raphael Wanjala), Webuye West (Daniel Wanyama), Kapenguri (Samuel Mworoto), Nakuru Town West (Samuel Arama), Bobasi (Innocent Obiri), Turkana South (John Ariko), Kajiado West (George Sunkuyia), Suna West (Peter Masara) and Hamisi (Charles Gumini).

In Mathira Constituency, the report has received anomalies in the payment of bursary amounting to Ksh80.88 million, comprising Ksh51 million in respect to secondary schools, Ksh28.8 million in respect to tertiary institutions and Ksh1 million for special schools.

According to the report the anomalies noted include lack of acknowledgement receipts from the beneficiary’s institutions of bursary awards totaling Ksh40.4 million, undisclosed expenditure of Ksh17.3 million as list of beneficiaries provided for confirmation totaled to Ksh98.2 million compared to the recorded expenditure of Ksh80.8 million, some of the beneficiaries in the secondary school category totaling Ksh6.7 million and the vocational institutes category totaling Ksh70,000 had similar admission numbers with different names indicating that there was duplication hence casting doubt on the regularity of the bursary awards.

Others are lack of evidence provided for application, evaluation and criteria for identifying and awarding the students bursaries to 124 beneficiaries who were awarded full scholarship totaling to Ksh5 million, bursaries amounting to Ksh1.4 million was awarded to students without evidence of admission or registration numbers as well as lack of current updated database of secondary schools, colleges and universities as registered by the Ministry of Education to ascertain whether the students who applied for the bursary, received and are undertaking their studies in institutions registered.

Reads the report: “lt was also observed that the Ward Education Fund Appraisal Committees did not establish from the learning institutions whether the bursary applicants had received funding from other sources.”

Bursary pay

The report has also raised concerns over irregularities in the Procurement of the Sports Project amounting to Ksh2 million, as well as unsupported expenditure totalling millions of shillings that could not be explained.

In Mwingi Central Constituency, the report has raised questions relating to bursary payments amounting to Ksh74 million, where a number of anomalies were noted.

According to the report, the anomalies included lack of bursary policy outlining the criteria for identifying and selecting beneficiaries, as well as the amounts to be awarded to each beneficiary across different categories was not provided for audit review, lack of community involvement in identifying beneficiaries as there were no locational committees established by the Chiefs in the wards to review the beneficiaries’ applications before forwarding to NGCDF Office as well as inability to confirm whether consideration was given to disadvantaged groups like persons with disabilities.

Others are a lack of evidence of the NG-CDF Committee conducting periodic monitoring visits to sampled education institutions to confirm the effectiveness of the bursary programme, as well as having unpresented cheques totalling Ksh28.8 million, some of them dating back to March 2023.

Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, the regularity and effectiveness of the bursary’s management process could not be confirmed.”

In Mwatate Constituency, the report has raised concerns over excess emergency reserve of Ksh9.2 million approved by the fund which was above the set limit of Ksh3.4 million which is contrary to Section 8(1) of the NG-CDF Act, 2015 which requires that a portion of the Fund, equivalent to five per cent emergency reserve to remain unallocated and to be available for emergencies that may occur within the Constituency.

In addition, the constituency is on the spot over unsupported transfers to Primary Schools of Ksh36.6 million, unconfirmed purchase and delivery of school bus worth Ksh9.76 million which was not available for physical inspection as well as lack of value for money for the installation of security projects such as the construction of Kamtonga Police Station at a cost of Sh 22.2 million as the station four months after completion has not been in use.

In Budalangi Constituency, the report has raised concerns over bursary payments to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools amounting to Ksh30.96 million, Ksh12.6 million and Ksh425,000 respectively.

Beneficiary institution

According to the report, evidence of vetting of applications and categorising of needy students was not provided for audit Review.

ln addition, the area education officer or his representative were not involved in the allocation of bursary to students, contrary to the CDF Board circular reference VOL/l 1 I dated 13 September, 2010.

Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, the accuracy, completeness and regularity of bursary payments amounting to Ksh44,011,060 could not be confirmed.”

In Webuye West Constituency, the report has raised concerns over poor workmanship of projects. For instance, the report cited payment of Ksh1.5 million to Bituyu DEB Primary School for renovation of three classrooms, which had been blown off by wind.

According to the report, a physical inspection conducted on December 11, 2024, revealed that ceiling boards were not properly aligned in the joints and paint was peeling off.