Several trips to Mombasa by Murang’a MCAs have elicited fears of loss of funds for lack of supporting documents for Sh83 million spent on them.
Auditor General Edward Ouko, in his latest report on the county’s finances, has reprimanded Mwangi wa Iria’s administration over gross financial management flaws.
The auditor flagged the trips, saying they were paid by the executive, yet the county assembly has its own budget for such activities.
Another Sh4,063,900 trip by 46 staff members to Mombasa was also queried. The expenditure was not supported by attendance schedules, work tickets and bus fare tickets.
“As a result, the propriety of the Sh4 million spent on the trip could not be confirmed,” Ouko said in the report tabled at the Senate last week.
Also cited was a second trip by MCAs to attend a workshop in Mombasa. It cost the county Sh5 million in allowances.
There was no record of venue, attendance registers or the programme of the event for the period the event took place. The expenditure could not be confirmed.
Ouko has also castigated wa Iria’s administration for not providing supporting documents for Sh6 million spent during a medical camp at the county in November and December 2017.
The county is also on the spot over an unexplained Sh47 million spent on an ECDE feeding programme.
The expenditure returns and related records for the funds transferred to the centres was not provided, Ouko said.
Also in focus is Sh2.9 million spent in the construction of an assistant chief’s office and a residence for police officers, yet the functions fall under the national government.
The county also failed to account for Sh35,095,000 disbursed to various health centres and dispensaries in the county.
Ouko also raised questions over Sh277 million, which was erroneously charged to wrong accounts in violation of budgetary provisions.
Wa Iria’s administration irregularly drew Sh26.6 million from the recurrent funds account and charged it on development vote.
The Public Finance Management (County Government) Regulations, 2015, prohibits reallocation of money from wage to non-wage expenditure.
Further, there was no evidence that assets inherited from the defunct local authorities were recorded and disclosed in the financial statements.
“Consequently, the fixed assets balance of Sh2.49 billion is not fairly stated,” Ouko said adding that there were gaps in the serialisation of payment vouchers in Ifmis.
“This exposed the county executive to possible loss of public funds in cases skipped payment voucher numbers were utilised without detection.”
Despite taxpayers not getting services as was planned for the year, the county reported an under-expenditure of Sh1 billion. No explanation was given on the same.
“Development funds were not utilised as planned, resulting into under-expenditure of Sh939 million, implying that development projects were not implemented as planned,” the auditor said.
