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A Senate Committee has directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to pitch tent at Muranga County administration over Sh1.4 billion unsupported expenditures.

This even as Governor Dr Irungu Kang’ata  (pictured) was only been able to provide 57 per cent of the documents to explain the expenditure worth about Sh760 million.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee chaired by Homa Bay lawmaker Moses Kajwang’ directed the anti-graft czar to probe the administration in what it termed as a cocktail of a crime scene and illegalities.

During the probe on the audit queries for the financial year 2020/21, the committee could not proceed after Kang’ata failed to provide the needed documents to explain the unsupported expenditure as flagged by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.

According to Kangata, his administration could only provide 57 per cent of the documentation needed to support various payments in the year under review.

 “We supplied 900 documents and only 57 per cent can be confirmed. We cannot vouch for the rest,” said Governor Kang’ata.

However, the auditor poked holes into the said documents, saying they are not complete as the vouchers lack approvals and procurement decisions.

“The 57 per cent documents verified still have issues of lack of adequate supporting documents, misclassification of the documents and some items lacking prudent use of public documents,” said the auditor.

Some of the expenditures in question include Sh180 million for routine maintenance, a Sh108 million for other capital grants and transfers, Sh45 million for domestic travel and subsistence, Sh21 million for training expenses and Sh11million for hospitality supplies and services, among others.

This was the third time Muranga County Government appeared before the dreaded oversight committee but failed to supply documentary evidence on how it spent Sh1.4billion.

Unsuported expenditure

“We have given the governor three opportunities to justify the unsupported expenditure but he says what he can support is about Sh760 million. This still leaves a gap of Sh640 million because the initial amount was Sh1.4 billion,” said Kajwang’.

He went on: “In the circumstances, we have no other alternative but to ask the EACC to pitch tent in Muranga County and unearth these expenditures. The conclusion that we must arrive at is that Sh640 million was stolen in Murang’a.”

According to the committee, even though Kangata’s administration supported the Sh760 million with documentation, their authenticity were in doubt.

Kajwang’ while giving the direction of the committee wondered how Muranga County officials could now support expenditures worth Sh760 million yet could not provide evidence at the time of audit.

“At the first and second meetings, they could not support the expenditure but now supported by the same people who prepared the financial statements, and signed the payment vouchers. Those are the same people we are relying on today to provide evidence of proper expenditure,” he said.