Nairobi county assembly's PAC inquiry into Sh1.7 billion AAR health insurance cover for 2017-18 did not start after a witness declared herself a stranger before the committee.
Susan Waweru, who is the deputy CEO of the outgoing County Public Service Board, on Monday said she could not stand in for her boss to answer queries.
"My boss is away and I don’t have a letter to show that I can stand in for him," she said.
Acting county secretary Pauline Kahiga said the board’s CEO Meshack Guto is out of the country attending the International Labour Organisation Convention in Switzerland.
The Wilfred Odalo-led Public Accounts Committee is interrogating how AAR insurance was paid Sh1.7 billion for staff medical insurance cover during the year under review.
The audit query indicates that the payment was done in contravention of the Public Finance Management (County).
Auditor General Edward Ouko in his report cited loss of public funds, errors and acts of omission.
He further queried why the executive failed to produce supporting documents for the staff medical insurance cover.
The officers on the spot are county secretary, Public Service Management chief officer and Finance executive.
The committee questioned why Guto failed to turn up yet he had not substantively assigned his deputy to take charge while he was away.
"The issue of Sh1.7 billion is not a small issue and that is why we cannot have a stranger in the house respond to the questions," an officer from the auditor’s office said.
Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto said, "Public Accounts Committee is an evidence-based committee and cannot cross-examine the board’s deputy CEO without a letter."
Finance chief officer Halkano Waqo said Guto had travelled before the committee schedule was released to the executive.
Odalo ruled the meeting will be postponed until the CEO appears before the committee and answers the questions.
"No matter how long it takes, we shall get to the bottom of the queries, so you (executive) cannot escape," Odalo said.
Supporting the ruling, County’ s Public Service Management chief officer Leboo Morintat said the board’s CEO will appear in the next sitting in person.
The meeting is scheduled to take place on July 9.
Edited by R.Wamochie
