Be transparent with Covid-19 funds, Ombudsman tells state agencies

The Office of the Administrative Justice has threatened to sue state agencies and ministries failing to disclose expenditure on Covid-19 funds.

Chairperson Florence Kajuju on Thursday said it has come to the attention of the Ombudsman that many agencies have not disclosed how the money has been spent so far.

She said the commission has received overwhelming complaints from the members of public and state officers on the maladministration and nondisclosure of the same.

"As a commission, we demand that the relevant state agencies and concerned ministries should avail information on the amount of money received, either from government allocations, loans, grants or in any other form," Kajuju said.

She said the respective ministries and state agencies should also avail information on how they have spent the money, all contracts specifying the contractual sum and contract period entered into for the purchase of goods or services in respect of the pandemic.

Kajuju said only such a move will prove accountability and transparency in government institutions hence rebuilding lost trust.

"They must also avail the names of the service providers, contractors or individuals to whom the contracts have been awarded," she said.

Kajuju said it is an offence under the Access to Information Act for any accounting officers in public institutions to fail to respond to requests for information within the prescribed time.

"This is punishable upon conviction with a fine not exceeding Sh50,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months," she said.

Kajuju said the Ministry of Health and county governments must also provide timely information to the public on the number of quarantine, isolation and treatment facilities available, their capacity, location, protocols and rules of admission, periodic occupancy percentage and any other incidental information.

She said it is unfortunate that the ministry says it has capacity to handle the pandemic yet there are reports of patients being turned away.

"Reports of patients seeking medical services only to be turned away from several facilities and some eventually dying are heartbreaking and unethical owing to the Hippocratic oath that medical practitioners ascribe to," she said.

Kajuju said in partnership with other agencies, they have launched investigations and action will be taken against those found culpable.

"As a result of this pandemic we have noted that there is an inefficiency in service delivery, you are reminded that even with such a pandemic, the law has not been suspended,' Kajuju said.

She added, "The disruption of public service should not stop any state officer from availing information or doing what they are mandated to do".