A senate county watchdog committee has recommended the prosecution of seven governors for various offenses, including failure to account for hundreds of millions of shillings.
The Senate Public Accounts and Investments Committee, chaired by Anyang’ Nyong’o, released a report for the year 2013/14 on how counties spent money allocated to 10 counties, showing that all the units lost funds.
Offenses and Recommendations ¶
The governors recommended for prosecution are Sospeter Ojaamong’ (Busia), Patrick Khaemba (Trans Nzoia), James Waithaka (Nyandarua), Okoth Obado (Migori), Salim Mvurya (Kwale), Jack Ranguma (Kisumu), and Moses Lenolkula (Samburu).
Ojaamong’ is accused of failing to account for Sh352 million and is recommended for prosecution under Section 62(1) (1) of the Public Audit Act. He failed to provide documents to support his expenditures, including a certificate of bank balances for the development bank account maintained at the Kenya Commercial Bank with a reported balance of Sh353,120,896.
The certificate of bank balances for the development bank account maintained at the Kenya Commercial Bank with a reported balance of Sh353,120,896 was not availed for audit review.
Ojaamong’ also faces prosecution for possible loss of Sh457,000 allegedly spent on paying allowances for travel and accommodation. Additionally, the county claimed it spent Sh7 million for tree planting, which was not properly documented.
Trans Nzoia governor Khaemba has been recommended for prosecution for failing to provide documents to account for Sh464 million in outstanding imprests, which should have been surrendered by June 30, 2014. Khaemba is also in trouble for Sh45 million allegedly paid to creditors taken over from the defunct local authorities, with no supporting documents provided.
Waithaka faces charges of irregular procurement of feasibility studies for the Ol Kalou town sewerage system, where up to Sh110 million allegedly spent was not accounted for. The committee also wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Sh657 million in road rehabilitation works in Nyandarua that could not be accounted for.
The recovered account cited reporting by Mediamax.
