Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has yet again unearthed massive irregularities in the issuance of bursaries by MPs under the National Government-Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) kitty.

A scan through more than 30 constituencies shows there were massive irregularities in how the bursaries were issued as crucial documents were not availed for audit.

For instance, the report claims some of the beneficiaries names could not be traced while in others vetting, identification and categorising of the needy students was not done.

Among the constituencies that have queries include Kapseret headed by Oscar Sudi, Tim Wanyonyi’s Westlands, Thika Town of Alice Ng’ang’a, Mwangi Kiunjuri’s Laikipia East, Suna West (Peter Masara), North Horr (Adhe Wario Guyo), Paul Abuor’s Rongo, Caleb Amisi’s Saboti and Charity Kathambi’s Njoro.

 The question comes hardly a month after National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed  the formulation of laws to collapse all bursaries and public scholarships into one fund.

Wetang’ula, admitted that the layers of duplication in the award of bursaries from the NG-CDF, counties and the Ministry of Education reveal glaring inconsistencies.

Already, the Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge has written to the Ministry of Education on the same.

Unsupported disbursements

With regards to Sudi’s constituency, the report raises concerns over unsupported bursary disbursements amounting to Sh28.5 million, Sh15.4 million and Sh804,000 disbursed to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools, respectively.

 The report notes that acknowledgement letters from beneficiary institutions were not provided for audit.

The report also raises concerns over the non-disbursement of funds from the board amounting to Sh87 million.

 Reads the report: “However, the budgeted amount for the year was Sh153,872,596 resulting in under disbursement of Sh66 million that was not explained contrary to section 39(2) of the National Government constituencies Development Fund Act, 2015. ln the circumstances, the implementation of projects was affected by the under receipts and the public did not obtain value for money from the unimplemented projects.”

 In Wanyonyi’s  Constituency, the report has raised concerns over irregular awarding of bursaries to secondary schools and tertiary institutions amounting to Sh17.2 million and Sh 8.2 million respectively.

 The report notes that the management did not provide evidence of formation of the Education Bursary, Mock Examinations and Continuous Assessment Tests Committee whose responsibilities include vetting of applicants.

This was in contravention with Regulation 21(3) of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund Regulations, 2016 which provides that a Constituency Committee shall vet all applicants for bursary consideration in accordance with guidelines issued by the Board and every constituency shall establish a sub-committee for effective and efficient administration of education bursary schemes, mock examinations and continuous assessment tests.

 Further, the report also says that a review of records revealed that bursaries amounting to Sh7.4 million were issued on behalf of students whose names could not be traced in the list of applicants and therefore the basis for awarding the bursaries could not be confirmed.

 Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, Management was in breach of the law.”

 In Thika Town, the report raises queries over irregular issuance of bursaries amounting to Sh66.2 million to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and to special schools.

The report discloses that there was no evidence to indicate that vetting, identification and categorizing of needy students was performed by the Bursary Subcommittee.

 Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, it was not possible to confirm the accuracy of bursary payments amounting to Sh66,184,000. Further, it was not possible to confirm whether the bursary payments were made to the intended beneficiaries.”

In Mwangi Kiunjuri’s constituency, the report raises concerns over unaccounted for bursary expenses amounting to Sh658,210.

The report notes that an audit review of the bursary payment vouchers indicated that bursaries amounting to Sh658,210 disbursed to various institutions were not supported by a list of the beneficiaries.

Bursary Payments

 In Suna West headed by Peter Masara, the report has raised concerns over unsupported bursaries worth Sh24,520,000 spent on bursaries to secondary schools and tertiary institutions.

 The report notes that letters of appointment of the members of the Bursary Sub-Committee were not provided for audit and the membership did not include the officer in charge of education in the sub-county as required by the Board’s Circular of June 18, 2020.

 Further, the bursaries were not supported with beneficiaries’ applications and the acknowledgement letters or receipts from the beneficiary institutions. In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary disbursements amounting to Sh24,520,000 could not be confirmed.

 Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary disbursement amounting to Sh24,520,000 could not be confirmed.”

 The report also raises concern over late disbursement of funds amounting to Sh42,000,000. The money the report says was received in the month of June, 2023 and therefore they could not have been utilized by the end of the financial year.

Further, the budgeted funds for financial year 2022/23 totaling Sh59,215,033 were disbursed during financial year 2023/24

Adds the report: “In addition, the budget execution by sectors and projects schedule reflects 17 projects with an allocation of Sh34,776,497 which were not funded during the year. The late exchequer releases could have constrained the implementation of the planned activities and projects.”

Fingered

 North Horr Adhe Wario Guyo has also been fingered for issuing unsupported bursaries worth Sh31.9 million and Sh20.8 million to secondary Schools and Tertiary institutions respectively.

 The report raises concerns that ad-hoc bursary Committee and National Government Constituencies Development Fund Committee Minutes were not provided to confirm how the vetting, identification and categorisation of the needy students, using established criteria and verify or ensure all bursary cheques were dispatched to the schools or colleges was done which contrary to the NG-CDF Board circular no. Vol. 1/1 11 dated September 13, 2010.

 Further, it also notes that it was not clear how the beneficiaries of the disbursed bursaries were identified.

 Reads the report: “In the circumstances, value for money for bursaries amounting to Sh52,705,413 could not be confirmed.”

On development, the report fingers the constituencies for failing to notify the NG-CDF board on emergency fund

Amounting to Sh3.6 million that was spent on water trucking services.

Reads the report: “However, no evidence was provided on whether the emergency projects were reported to the NG-CDF Board within thirty days of the occurrence of the emergency in the format prescribed by the Board and as per Regulation 20(2) of the NG-CDF Regulations, 2016.”

 In Abuor’s constituency, the report raises concerns over unsupported bursary disbursements amounting to Sh12.5 million and Sh39.2 million disbursed to secondary schools and tertiary institutions respectively. The report notes that there was no acknowledgement letters from beneficiary institutions were provided for audit.

 Reads the report: “In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary disbursements totaling Sh51,680,829 could not be confirmed.”

Inaccuracies

The report has also fingered the constituency for having inaccuracies in Budget Execution by Sector and projects as well as unsupported Project Management Committee Balances amounting to Sh12.3 million.

 In Tom Kajwang’s Ruaraka constituency, the report raises concerns over unsupported Project Management Committee Bank Balances totaling to Sh21.9 million which were not supported with bank balance certificates, expenditure returns and Projects

 Adds the report: “In the circumstances, the accuracy of Project Management Committee bank balances totaling Sh21,887,990 could not be confirmed.”

 In Peter Kaluma’s Homa Bay Town constituency, the report has raised concerns over unsupported bursary disbursements payments amounting to Sh39.2 million and Sh4 million disbursed to secondary schools and tertiary institutions respectively.

The report notes that bursary payments amounting to Sh34,709,926 were not supported by acknowledgement letters from the beneficiaries.

 Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary payments totaling Sh43,208,926 could not be confirmed.”

In Amisi’s constituency, the report has raised concerns over unsupported bursary disbursements amounting to Sh22.1 million Sh18.2 million and Sh1.95 million disbursed to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools respectively.

The report says there were acknowledgement letters or receipts from the beneficiary institutions were not provided for audit.

Reads the report: “ln the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary payments totaling Sh42,286,340 could not be confirmed.”

 In Njoro constituency headed by Charity Kathambi, the report has raised concerns over unsupported Bursaries to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools amounting to Sh18.5 million, Sh10.7 million and 511,000, respectively.

 The bursaries, the report says, were not supported by financial return acknowledging receipt of funds and confirming that the amounts have been credited to the school or college fees accounts for the targeted beneficiaries.

Reads the report:” ln the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of bursary expenditure totaling Sh29,697,069 could not be confirmed.”