• The County received Sh52 million in total, monies that were to be used to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
•It received Sh13.6 million conditional grant from the national government, Sh3.9 million Danida funds, Sh20.3 million for health workers allowances, Sh3.3 million county revenue and Sh9.8 million county’s emergency cash
Image: CHETI PRAXIDES
Lamu Governor Yasin Twaha was on Friday faulted for failing to spend Sh13.6 million national government cash advanced to the county to fight Covid-19 pandemic.
The County received the cash on June 4, 2020 but the same were still lying idle at the County coffers as at 31 July, 2020.
The issue was raised by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu in her special audit on how counties spent the Covid-19 funds.
Gathungu raised fears that the millions left unused for months are exposed to risks and a confirmation that the money was disbursed without adequate needs assessment and planning for its utilization.
“The funds were disbursed by the national government to the County Government’s citing urgency to deal with Covid-19 risks,” the report states.
The County received Sh52 million in total, monies that were to be used to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
It received Sh13.6 million conditional grant from the national government, Sh3.9 million Danida funds, Sh20.3 million for health workers allowances, Sh3.3 million county revenue and Sh9.8 million county’s emergency cash
Appearing before the Senate Health Committee on Friday, Twaha told senators that his administration had spent emergency fund to respond the pandemic and did not use the government funding as the work had already been done.
“We spent from our emergency fund before this (conditional grant) money came. When this Fund came we had already done what was to be done,” Twaha said during the virtual meeting.
He added: “Some of the necessary things had been done; we don’t spend for the sake of spending.”
Narok Senator Ledama Olekina who was chairing the session wondered the need for the funding if the county could respond with own means.
“Was there need for sending the money to Lamu?” posed Ledama.
The special audit also established that the County did not have in place a work plan and procurement for Covid-19 activities.
“Instead, the County Government of Lamu had a Corona Virus Health Strategic Response Plan, which had a list of activities to be undertaken by the County officers and the estimated cost for each county,” the audit states.
“The documents as provided were however not approved and neither was it signed for authenticity.”
The Twaha’s administration was also found to have breached procurement rules after resorted to direct procurement of goods and services worth Sh8.3 million.
Amongst the items directly procured without authorization of the accounting authorities included supply of 10,000 bottles of hand sanitisers by Kemri at Sh3.5 million and Sh1.4 million surgical face masks supplied by Kitui County Textile Center.
Others were Sh1 million supply and delivery of masks material by Mulinge Textile Graphics and delivery of PPEs items which the county spent Sh842,500.