• National Assembly Whip Benjamin Washiali tables report in Parliament
• Parliamentary Service Commission was supposed to foot the bill
Image: FILE
Two MPs who irregularly received Sh2, 461, 872 from the Sports ministry to watch the World Cup in Russia last year should pay back the cash, Auditor General Edward Ouko has said.
In his latest report, Ouko flags the payment terming it irregular and directed the ministry to recover the cash.
The 2017-18 report was on Tuesday tabled by National Assembly Whip Benjamin Washiali. It lifts the lid on the huge burden taxpayers shouldered to sponsor the MPs in the all-expenses paid trip.
The money was meant to cater for MPs’ expenses during the last two weeks of the games. They were given the cash requested by the Clerk of the National Assembly Michael Sialai.
But Ouko argued that MPs serve under the Parliamentary Service Commission where they should draw cash while on Parliamentary duty.
“The State Department should pursue refund of Sh 2,461,872 irregularly requested and paid to the two Members of Parliament from the Clerk of the National Assembly,” Ouko directed.
Twenty Kenyan legislators attended the global tournament. Parliament defended the trip as official benchmarking to give MPs first-hand experience on how to host international tournaments.
Given the revelation, the MPs may have gobbled up a whopping Sh49, 237, 440 for the two weeks they stayed in Russia if all were paid at a flat rate.
The public bashed the 14 members of the National Assembly and six senators who made the trip.
No Kenyan footballer was sponsored by the state to travel to Russia. The national football team was also left out.
“It is their responsibility to understand sports and how to host international tournaments. This is not a holiday and it is too simplistic to look at it as a joyrider mission,” Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye said.
Nyegenye is also the Chief Executive Officer of the Parliamentary Service Commission.
"This is official business, only that it is happening in Russia. Had it been happening in Somalia or even Uasin Gishu county, we would still have a team there," Nyegenye was quoted as saying.
Ouko’s report also questioned how Sh330, 53 paid to M/s Auditel Kenya Limited would be recovered. The Sports ministry paid the cash for the installation of security and pitch lighting equipment in various stadiums across the country.
“There is a risk of not recovering the cash advanced paid as the security guaranteeing the amount had expired and had not been replaced," Ouko said.
"It is also not clear when and if the project will be completed considering that the funding was withdrawn by the National Treasury."
The works were to be done in Jomo Kenyatta Stadium (Machakos), Moi Kinoru Stadium (Meru), Kipchoge Keino (Eldoret), Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums in Nairobi.
The stadiums had been earmarked for use during CHAN 2018 which was later relocated to Morocco due to slow progress of works.