Auditor unearths financial irregularities in Kilifi

The Kilifi County government has been exposed by the Auditor General for irregular procurement of various goods and services, breaches of law and financial misappropriation.
The Auditor General in her latest report for County Governments for the financial year ending June 30, 2024 shows that the Kilifi County Executive had inaccuracies in transfers from the County Revenue Fund (CRF) of Sh13.2 billion and inaccuracies in the statement of comparison of budget and actual amounts.
Statements of receipts and payments reflect receipts from CRF amounting to Sh13.2 billion while the CRF financial statements reflect corresponding transfers to the County Executive amounting to Sh13.38 billion resulting in an unexplained variance of Sh115.1 million.
“In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of the receipts on transfers from the CRF amounting to Sh13.2 billion could not be confirmed,” reads part of the report.
Further statements of comparison of budget and actual amounts (recurrent and development combined) reflect payments on transfers to other government entities, other grants and transfers and acquisition of assets amounting to Sh257.1 million, Sh2.01 billion and Sh2.04 billion reflectively.
Unreconciled
However, statement of receipts and payments and supporting schedules reflects corresponding payments amounting to Sh629.6 million, Sh1.64 billion and Sh2.04 billion resulting in unreconciled variances of Sh372.5 million, Sh372.5 million and Sh2.6 million respectively.
“In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of the statement of comparison of budget and actual amounts could not be confirmed,” reads part of the audit report.
In addition, the Governor Gideon Mungaro-led county had inaccuracies in compensation to employees and unsupported long outstanding imprests and advances balance.
Statement of receipts and payments reflects payments on compensation of employees totalling Sh4.1 billion and included in the payments is basic salaries of permanent employees amounting to Sh2.02 billion while Sh243.9 million was spent on basic wages of temporary employees.