- Samburu taxpayers could have lost more than Sh245 million in unauthorised payments to questionable staff.
- In additional, some Sh28.66 million was lost in excess payment of house allowance to county staff by the county.
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Samburu could have lost more than Sh245.59 million in payments to questionable staff by the county government.
In addition, Sh28.66 million was lost in excess payment of house allowance to county staff by the county.
These losses contained in the audit report for the Samburu county executive for the 2020-21 financial year.
It exposes massive waste of county funds.
The report exposes anomalies and irregularities in expenditure of public funds, unaccounted for expenditures, procurement irregularities and substandard works on projects funded by public money.
The report puts the county administration headed by Governor Moses Lenolkulal in a spot with about a month to the end of its tenure.
According to the report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, the county government paid Sh245.59 million to 546 staff members outside the established Integrated Payroll & Personnel Database (IPPD).
As the reported staff members were not included in the county’s database, concerns about their existence were triggered.
“There is a risk of unauthorised payments as the off-shelf payroll is not integrated and centrally managed and controlled in the public personnel database,” the report read.
Gathungu said the payment was made contrary to Treasury’s circular No. 9/2017 that requires personnel emoluments to be supported by IPPD.
“Consequently, management was in breach of the law,” the report read.
In addition, the auditor questioned how the county executive incurred Sh9.71 million for casual workers without any formal engagement of casuals. There was no approval by the county Public Service Board and letters of temporary employment.
“Further, information such as date of hire, period served, duties performed and qualifications of the casuals were not provided for audit,” the auditor said.
Gathungu's report also exposed how the county lost Sh28.66 million in excess payment of house allowance to 173 employees.
According to the report, the employees were entitled to a house allowance amounting to Sh5.47 million according to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission circular. County officials, however, defied the guidelines to pay the workers Sh34.14 million.
“The overpayment was caused by the application of higher rates than the ones stipulated by the SRC in the circular,” according to the report.
Further, Gathungu exposed anomalies in the procurement of goods and services by Samburu county.
They include procurement of motor vehicle insurance for Sh7.99 million.
The procurement, the report read, was split per department and sourced through a request for quotation. The procedure was contrary to the provisions of Section 54(1) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act. 2015.
The Act requires that no procuring entity may structure procurement as two or more procurements for the purpose of avoiding the use of a procurement procedure except where prescribed.
In addition, the county spent Sh24.86 million on the rehabilitation of water projects.
However, the projects were not certified by the technical departments, thus raising questions about value for money.
The auditor also exposed "shoddy" development projects costing Sh16.26 million.
They include construction of an Sh7.24 million dispensary, staff houses and sanitary blocks.
The report shows that sanitary and window fittings were not done, electrical works were incomplete, painting workmanship was poor on walls and ceilings.
The county also constructed Sh1.19 million classrooms at ECDE centers but the report reveals a poor drainage system lead to flooding of the classroom and electrical works were not done.
Drilling and equipping for Sh6.63 million at Silango and Sukurio were incomplete and abandoned.
“The water levels were low. There was no evidence of drill logs, material testing, water testing, equipment testing, stores receipts of pumps to confirm specifications as provided in the Bills of Quantity,” the report read.
The auditor also revealed that the outgoing administration will leave behind pending bills amounting to Sh313.68 million.
(Edited by V. Graham)