Legislators to summon Macharia over Sh60b audit query
By Mercy Mwai, September 25, 2019
The powerful Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has resolved to summon Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia and former Principal Secretary John Mosonik over Sh60 billion which cannot be accounted for by the department of Infrastructure.
The committee also resolved to order a special audit and investigations to establish how the money was incurred by the department in the 2016/2017 financial year.
At a meeting with Infrastructure Principal Secretary Paul Maringa, members of the committee said it was unacceptable that the department is yet to put its house in order and account for money it received from the National Treasury.
Led by PAC chairperson Opiyo Wandayi, MPs Christopher Nakuleu (Turkana North), Eseli Simiyu (Tongaren), Peter Masara (Suna West) and Otiende Amolo (Rarieda), said the department ought to take its work seriously and provide a road map on how to address audit queries running into billions of shillings.
Wandayi said the committee had powers to compel Macharia and Mosonik to appear before it to shed light on the money, adding that they will be calling for investigations to determine how such a colossal amount of money cannot be accounted for.
“I am not sure we are getting anywhere with this matter because it dates back to 2017. As a committee we have to do something very drastic.
This matter cannot just be left and that is why we want the CS Macharia, PS Mosonik and the former chief finance officer to come here and shed light on it,” said Wandayi.
He added: “This is a matter that as members we will stamp our authority on; we shall not let this matter go away, we will not only ask for a special audit; we will ask for special investigations.”
Eseli sought to know whether the department was short of manpower or it was a deliberate move to conceal the rot that has been happening in the ministry.
“The current minister is the same one who has been in office even when the PSs have moved and therefore he should be the one to come here and answer these questions.”
Masara questioned how the governments can continue to pump money into an institution that cannot account for it yet it is one department that receives big allocations.