A senate watchdog committee wants the anti-graft agency to fast-track the ongoing probe on irregular procurement in Tana River county.
This follows a recommendation by the County Public Accounts and Investments Committee after it identified a systematic breach of procurement laws among other vices in the county government.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission liaison officer attached to the committee disclosed that the agency is investigating several tenders awarded irregularly.
Governor Dhadho Godhana was grilled by the committee for more than four hours but failed to satisfy the panel on myriads of breaches, failure to support the expenditures, among others.
The county financial books also had several inaccuracies that put taxpayers’ money at risk.
The 11-member committee chaired by Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri said the governor failed to explain the expenditures and irregularities committed by his finance officers.
“Are you aware that the documents are supposed to be handed over on specific date and if they are not then it handicaps the entire audit process?” Migori Senator Ochillo Ayacko asked. He sought to know why the county failed to provide documents to auditors.
Senator Johnes Mwaruma (Taita Taveta) questioned the gaps in the financial books, which he said were a pointer to pilferage going on in the county.
Ongeri demanded to know the capacities of the officers in the finance department, noting that the errors and gaps in the financial books pointed to a bigger problem in that department.
The county chief admitted the flaws and gaps in the accounting books and attributed the problems to capacity gaps in the finance department.
“I want to admit we had challenges in the department. We did not have qualified officers and other committees were not in place. But I want to say that we have now addressed the problem,” Godhana said.
Godhana said he has put the audit committee in place and hired qualified staff, including head of supply chain management, finance director, economists and assigned them specific roles to improve the country’s financial reporting.
Ongeri gave the county boss two weeks to provide a detailed report to both the committee and auditors detailing measures he has taken to transform the department.
“The last time you were before this committee, there were elements of overstated releases. At the same time, you had unsupported expenditures and now you have differences that you couldn’t tally. Obviously, there is something missing in your finance department,” Ongeri said.
According to the 2017-18 Auditor General's report on the financial expenditures of the Tana River County executive, Godhana’s administration violated procurement laws, did not reconcile financial books and failed to provide documents to support expenditures amounting to more than Sh1.2 billion.
The report shows the county failed to advertise in county website, government tenders’ portal or newspapers contracts for projects worth Sh45 million.
In addition, contracts worth Sh78.7 million issued were not supported by professional opinion of the head of procurement unit and where made available, it was not signed.
Further, the county officials failed to avail project files containing key procurement documents such as tender opening minutes, evaluation and awarding minutes among others.
- mwaniki fm