The Auditor General has found inflated pending bills and unearthed payment of ghost workers in Siaya county.
Auditor General Edward Ouko's report shows salaries paid to non-existent employees exceeds the payroll amount by Sh351 million.
The revelation raises fears the county could be spending hundreds of millions of shillings of taxpayers’ money on ghost workers.
Financial statements show the county spent Sh 2.4 billion to pay its workforce but the amount captured in the payroll is only Sh2.1 billion.
“Included in the statement of receipts and payments is compensation to employees of Sh2, 465,782,740, which increased by Sh356,995,753, or 17 per cent, from Sh2,108,786,987 in the prior year, which was not justified or explained,” Ouko reported.
Ouko also questioned Sh246 million being held by county employees as outstanding imprest as at June 2018.
The report tabled last week by Senate Majority leader and Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen also casts doubts on the Sh739 million the county claims it owes contractors and service providers.
After analysis of the bills by Ouko's team, it emerged that Sh190.6 million of the Sh739.8 million listed as pending bills are fake and cannot be justified.
The county could not provide supporting documents such as purchase orders, invoices, delivery notes, engineers’ works completion certificates, nor the inspection and acceptance certificates.
In some instances, Ouko noted that the Executive over-quoted pending bills for some of its departments, contradicting figures given by the very departments to the audit team.
For instance, in the Agriculture department, the county said it has Sh247.5 million in pending bills, while those submitted by the department indicate only Sh24.6 million is owed to suppliers and contractors.
“Pending bills amounting to Sh 64.1 million under the Department of Trade had bills amounting to Sh13.4 million supported by local purchase orders, invoices, contract agreements, engineers’ certificates and inspection reports, leaving the balance of Sh50,753,854 unsupported,” the report reads.
