• Kuti’s administration could not account for Sh455.07 million used to procure goods and services and pay employees.
• Committee chairman Kajwang' dismissed claims saying Kuti was governor during the year under review.
Image: FILE
Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti was on Wednesday on the receiving end for blaming his predecessor Godana Doyo for his county's financial mess.
Kuti appeared before the Senate County Public and Investments Committee over Sh2 billion queries raised by Auditor General Edward Ouko in the 2017-18 report.
In a stormy session that was marred by shouting matches between the governor and Senator Fatuma Dullo, Kuti was at pains to explain why his administration failed to account for the spending.
“I inherited a county government that had been run down. There were no structures. Treasury was an appendix of the governor’s house. That is why we could not provide documents to support the expenditure,” Kuti said.
His administration could not account for Sh455.07 million used to procure goods and services and pay employees.
He explained that the previous regime did not keep the records.
But committee chairman Moses Kajwang' rubbished the explanation, saying Kuti was governor during the year under review.
“You did not account for Sh455 million and you cannot blame your predecessor for that. You rather provide the document and we treat it as lost money and seek another direction,” Kajwang said.
The governor pleaded with the committee to give him seven days to provide documents to support the expenditure.
Kuti also found himself on a hot seat over payment of legal fees amounting to Sh36 million. The money was paid from the County Revenue Fund Account as stipulated in the law.
He said the money was paid after a court froze the county’s accounts.
At some point, the governor and his senator engaged in bitter exchanges over the running of the county affairs.
Senator Dullo demanded to know why Kuto ignored her advice and proceeded to sign a Sh433 million deal with a foreign firm to manage healthcare.
Dullo has opposed the deal between the county and Living Goods Limited, an NGO. The deal would have seen the firm take charge of three subcounty hospitals for four years. She wrote to the Senate and Treasury which halted the plan.
She said the National Treasury has not approved the agreement between the two entities as there existed serious legal flaws in the contract, "most of which I have raised on previous occasions".
However, Kuti absolved himself from blame and told senators that previous issues raised by his critics have been addressed including the documentation that was omitted during the signing of the pact.
“The county has no interest in flaunting procurement laws and the Constitution,” he told the committee.
A visibly agitated Dullo fired back at her governor, maintaining that the controversial Sh443 million health service scheme has been used to malign her name and abuse her in public gathering and rallies.
“I am elected by the great people of Isiolo to represent them in the Senate. I also have a right to say this is wrong and if you need me to produce documentary evidence, I have done a lot of advisories to the governor, county assembly and all relevant institutions,” she said.
Chairman Kajwang’ had to stamp his authority to restore order during the session.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)