•Governor Anne Waiguru’s administration could not account for several expenditures during the year triggering concerns the funds could have been misappropriated.
•In the report, Gathungu reveals that Kirinyaga officials could not support the expenditure of Sh61.09 million.
Image: WANGECHI WANG'ONDU
Kirinyaga is in the limelight after revelations it could not account for more than Sh120 million spent in 2019-2020.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu reveals this in her latest audit report that shows over Sh200 million taxpayers’ money is sinking in stalled county projects.
According to the report on the financial audit, Governor Anne Waiguru’s administration could not account for several expenditures during the year triggering concerns the funds could have been misappropriated.
Waiguru has had issues with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in the recent past.
She has often accused the anti-graft agency of frustrating her because of her political stand.
Waiguru recently ditched Jubilee for UDA.
In the report, Gathungu reveals that Kirinyaga officials could not support the expenditure of Sh61.09 million.
The funds were spent on the purchase of fuel, oil and lubricant for the fleet of vehicles owned by the county government.
“However, procurement documents such as tender advertisements and evaluation reports and supply contracts were not availed for audit,” the report reads in part.
“In the circumstance, the validity of the procurement of fuel, oil and lubricants worth Sh61.09 million could not be confirmed.”
The county government failed to account for Sh17.03 million spent on payment of pee diem to county officials and purchase of specialized materials.
Some Sh4.55 million paid to county officials reportedly on official duty were not supported by records such as travel tickets, visas and boarding passes, casting doubt on whether the said officers travelled.
“The records show Sh3.41 million payments were made to a firm to supply air tickets for use by officials of the county executive in the year under review,” the repot states.
“However, records on the supply and use of the tickets were not provided for audit. As a result, it was not possible to confirm whether the tickets bought were supplied and used for the intended purpose.”
In another unexplained expenditure, the county government made Sh12.5 million payments for the purchase of specialized materials and services.
However, the expenditure was not supported by relevant documents including user requisitions, LPOs, delivery notes and inspection and acceptance certificates.
The county could not avail documents related to the purchase of Sh14.5 million Toyota Land Cruiser Prado thus posing doubt on the receipt and ownership of the vehicle by the county executive.
Gathungu flagged the delayed and high number of stalled projects initiated by the county government.
As of June 30, last year, 86 projects worth Sh247.59 million had stalled.
Another 33 projects worth Sh629.80 million were either not completed or not started at the end of the financial year
“As a result, no value for money had been obtained from the use of public funds totalling Sh211.15 million invested in stalled projects as of June 30, last year,” the reports shows.
The reports reveal that Kirinyaga county risks losing 40 pieces of land valued at millions of shillings due to the administration’s failure to secure ownership documents.
The 60 out of the 72 parcels of land were not reflected in the county’s fixed asset register.
The auditor also fingered Waiguru’s government for indulging in overdrive employment thus exceeding the set expenditure limit on staff emolument.
During the year under review, the county employed 361 new officers pushing the total number of employees to 2, 571, stressing the annual expenditure on employee emolument to 44 per cent of the county revenue.
“The expenditure surpassed the threshold of 35 per cent prescribed in Regulation 25(1)(b) of the Public Finance Management (county government) Regulations, 2015,” the report reads.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris