This archive report was first published on 12 August 2019.
According to a report by Auditor-General Edward Ouko, the Consolidated Fund paid Sh58 million to some Asian and European officers whose identity documents could not be traced. This revelation was made while tabling a report at the National Assembly last week.
Published on August 12, 2019, the report for the 2017-18 financial year also revealed that another payment amounting to Sh27 million was made to deceased persons. The report stated, “Payments amounting to Sh27,378,721 were made to deceased persons. Of this amount, Sh12,580,674 relate to repeat payments to deceased persons’ accounts even after the money was returned by the receiving bank at the first instance.”
Mr. Ouko questioned the pension department's decision to re-wire the payments, stating that ideally, the Fund should have suspended the accounts upon return of the payments by the banks. This implies that the government could be spending taxpayer's money to pay ghost pensioners.
Additionally, the Treasury is also on the spot for a Sh20.2 million payment made to the British government for colonial retirees who worked in Kenya but are now residing in the United Kingdom. Mr. Ouko noted that the payments have not been supported by way of payroll numbers detailing out the beneficiaries.
The report also questioned military gratuity paid amounting to Sh4.6 billion.
