- Tana River governor Dhadho Godhana and top officers in his administration could face probe over questionable expenditures amounting to over Sh3 billion.
- Senators have directed the EACC to investigate the expenditure after the county boss failed to explain the spending, triggering concerns the money could have been embezzled.
Image: John Chesoli
Tana River Governor Dhadho Godhana and top officers in his administration could face probe over questionable expenditures amounting to over Sh3 billion.
Senators have directed the EACC to investigate the expenditure after the county boss failed to explain the spending, triggering concerns the money could have been embezzled.
Appearing before the Senate County Public Accounts Committee, the governor could not demonstrate value for money for expenditure by his administration running into billions.
The Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’-led committee questioned the governor over damning audit queries for 2018-19 financial year flagged by auditor general Nancy Gathungu.
“EACC should look at the possibility of collusion within the procurement department. There is even Sh164 million classified as other payments yet there is no payment in a county that cannot be classified,” Kajwang said.
“This means the money fled to people’s pockets. Governor, you should be marched to jail,” Kajwang' said.
The watchdog panel put the governor to task to prove how his administration spent the funds but he could not provide documentation to prove the expenditure.
The county chief struggled to explain to the committee the development projects he has implemented since taking over in 2017.
Documents presented by the county as response to the queries were found to be copy paste of one query to answer another.
In the report, Gathungu exposed that the county allocated some Sh1.9 billion for implementation of development projects in the county during the period under review.
However, the management was able to support expenditure of only Sh178.3 million resulting in a difference of Sh1.75 billion which could not be supported.
Further, the county declared pending bills of Sh2.42 billion but did not disclose the period the pending bill relates to as well as details of the goods, works and services delivered or rendered.
“The Executive did not maintain creditors ledgers showing creditors movement from Sh1.67 billion in the previous financial year to the current Sh2.42 billion,” read in part the report.
The county executive also paid Sh206 million for purchase of four firefighting equipment even before inspection of the equipment, taking over certificate and final acceptance were issued as required by the contract agreement.
The county was also on the spot over irregular reallocation of Sh247 million on use of goods and services and acquisition of assets without proper description showing nature and purpose of payment.
The report further flagged a Sh66.2 million variance in compensation of employees data captured in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Data and excel payroll.
The county government also incurred Sh26.2 million in hiring of motor vehicles. However, the management could not provide relevant documents including lease approvals, quotations, lease agreements and logbooks to support the expenditure.
Some Sh29.2 million was paid to officers who attended workshops and seminars as domestic travel and subsistence and other transportation costs, yet supporting records revealed the officers were fully sponsored by the organisers.
In his defense, the former military man shifted the blame to his political opponents for “planting” their people within the county government allegedly to sabotage his administration.
He said he inherited a largely “incompetent” staff and had fired several top officials.
The governor added that the county assembly has also been a stumbling block as they rejected his CEC nominees leaving him without a full-fledged team to work with.
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana and his Nairobi counterpart Edwin Sifuna urged the governor to crack the whip and get competent people in office to deliver to the county residents.
"This is the lowest we have witnessed from a governor before this committee,” said Nyandarua Senator John Methu.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka said, “Governor you get Sh6 billion and just throw it away with nothing to show despite your county being one of the marginalised areas".
Sifuna said, “I am ashamed to be your secretary general in ODM.”
Busia senator Okiya Omtatah said he would pray for the county boss.