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Parliament has waded into the crisis laden water sector by summoning top ministry officials and agencies to shed light on alleged misuse of money.

The meeting has been called to deliberate on the 2022/2023 budget implementation oversight which has been the thorny issue facing water agencies in the recent past.

Two chief executives have already been suspended owing to misuse of money allocated to their dockets or issues to do with procurement.

At the weekend, Head of Public Service Koskei ordered the suspension of two chief executives, Athi Water CEO Michael Thuita and Samuel Ouma of Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency.

The directive is pending a probe into awards of water project tenders.

“The suspension of Thuita is pending investigations into alleged irregularities in the award of tender for construction of Ruiru II, Karimenu and Kitui Matuu water projects undertaken by the agency,” the statement read.

Oruma has been accused of changing the materials of a water project contrary to the procurement specifications.

Though the meeting agenda is put as deliberation on budget implementation reports, sources said MPs are concerned over the public spat between Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and PS Kiprono Ronoh.

Heads of agencies some of whom we talked to are accusing PS Rono of running the ministry unprofessionally, diverting money allocated to projects without involving them and approving projects which are not budgeted for.

The meeting with the departmental committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation will take place in Naivasha between September 28 to October 1. The committee is chaired by Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen.

Others invited are Ephantus Kimotho Principal Secretary State Department for Irrigation, Betsy Muthoni Principal Secretary State Department for Blue Economy & Fisheries Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs and Chris Kiptoo, Principal Secretary of National Treasury.

“The Departmental Committee on Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation is in receipt of your reports on the 2022/23 Budget Implementation for the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS) under the Committee’s purview,” reads the signed by Jeremiah Ndombi for the Clerk of the National Assembly.

“In view of the above, the Committee has scheduled a retreat in Naivasha, Nakuru County to deliberate and report back to the House on the 2022/23 Budget Implementation as provided in Standing Order 216(5)(ba) and 245A(2)(C) of the National Assembly Standing Orders.”

Ndombi adds: “The purpose of this letter is therefore to invite the Cabinet Secretary accompanied by the Chief Executive Officers/Accounting Officers of all the Departments and Agencies under the Ministry for meetings with the Committee.”
All MDAs are required to submit electronic copies of their submissions to the committee not later than Wednesday 27th September 2023 and 20 hard copies on the days of the meetings.
 Apart from the suspension of the two officials, there have been growing jitters after it emerged that the

Sh1.3 billion that was meant for Mt Kenya water projects were reallocated.
MPs from the region were upset after learning that the National Treasury diverted the billions to other regions reportedly for political reasons.

Wahome has protested against the move terming the decision as “ill-informed.”
The Ministry of Treasury and Economic Planning approved the reallocation on March 23 to other regions without involving the local leadership.
PS Rono who has been at loggerheads with his boss is said to have written to PS Kiptoo (Treasury) asking for the diversion of the funds.

“In this regard, the National Treasury has approved re-allocation from the following projects; Athi Water Works Development Agency (Sh300 million), Nairobi Metro Area bulk water services (Sh479 million), and Ithanga water supply,” the letter reads in part.

Not consulted

Out of the Sh1.3 billion that was meant for Mt Kenya water projects, Sh800 million had been approved.
Of the amount, Sh479 million was meant for the Ruiru Dam II’s construction in Lari and Githunguri constituencies.

Another Sh300 million was allocated for the final phase of water supply from Karemenu Dam and Sh100 million for the Ithanga water project.

The reallocation of the Sh1.3 billion forced Wahome to write to her Treasury counterpart Njuguna Ndung’u on April 25 protesting against the move.
The CS argued that the reallocation was ill-informed as she was not consulted.

“The request for the reallocation was not made in consultation with the relevant implementing waterworks development agencies and my concurrence was also not sought,” said Wahome in the letter she also copied to Rono.

Wahome has been accused of ignoring the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission’s (EACC) recommendation to suspend Thuita.

EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak had recommended the suspension saying his continued stay in office would affect the ongoing probe.