Two Kitui assembly committees are poised to unearth the names behind the misallocation of up to Sh500 million Covid-19 funds.
Implementation committee chairman David Thuvi on Wednesday said his team, jointly with the Public Account Committee chaired by Alex Mbili, would from Thursday find out the masterminds of the massive misallocation.
“In a previous inquiry, we established the law and the framework on the utilisation of the Covid-19 funds was grossly violated. We are now going to probe deeper and pinpoint the actual officers responsible for irregular use of the fund,” Thuvi said.
He said any private company that irregularly benefitted and flouted procurement procedures would also be identified and directors called to account.
A week ago, assembly speaker George Ndotto directed Thuvi’s committee, backed by PAC, to probe county officers and contractors who violated the law on Covid-19 funds spending.
Ndotto said it was time specific individuals were fingered and their names forwarded to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
He termed it unacceptable for individuals to divert the Covid-19 funds and get scot-free. The speaker gave the ruling after MCAs unanimously adopted a report by Thuvi’s committee.
The report established that the lion’s share of the Covid-19 funds in 2019-20 was used for non-Covid 19 purposes, contrary to regulations.
Although in its reports the Thuvi team had recommended that the EACC investigate the misuse of Covid-19 funds and the violation of the law, Ndotto said presenting the EACC with the actual names of individuals involved was prudent.
Thuvi committee cited a contradiction in the actual amount of funds that Kitui county accessed. Acting chief health officer Allan Owino said the county received Sh498,160,000, but the auditor general office gave a figure of Sh527,484,655.
The committee report further indicated that the county assembly topped up the Covid-19 funds with an appropriation of Sh100 million through a supplementary budget.
The committee said the money was distributed to four county departments.
They are Health and Sanitation at Sh265,934,531, Education, ICT and Youth Development Sh62,383,000, Trade and Investments Sh55,000,000 and Agriculture and Water Sh45,000,000.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)
