Several state agencies and departments are on the spot for turning a blind eye to Parliament recommendations on audits and motions.
In a report, the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee has flagged the Kenya Revenue Authority, National Social Security Fund, National Cereals And Produce Board, Education Ministry, Treasury and KenGen for failing to implement House orders.
Top of the mentions by the committee chaired by Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala is the order stopping schools from directing parents to where they can buy uniforms.
On March 1, 2023, the National Assembly resolved that the government should develop a policy in standardisation and production of school uniforms.
More than a year later, MPs are concerned that the Education Ministry has yet to implement the directive as required.
“The committee observed that the circular issued by the ministry only focused on secondary education yet the concern of school uniforms also concerns pupils who ought to be included,” the report tabled in Parliament reads.
It also emerged that the directive stopping schools from restricting parents to select suppliers was not properly disseminated.
The Wanjala-led team wants the Education CS to disseminate the circular through public announcements across various broadcast outlets.
MPs want the government to “put in place a more detailed standardisation framework and enforceability mechanisms”.
“We recommend that the ministry establishes a mechanism to enhance compliance on the directive that no school should direct parents to any particular outlet for the purpose of purchasing uniforms and no school would stock any uniforms and boarding related items whatsoever,” the report reads.
Still on schools, MPs observed that the school-feeding programme was not well managed and want the intervention extended to all schools after a needs assessment.
MPs are also concerned that the Interior Ministry has yet to open birth and death registration centres across the country.
Parliament had recommended that the centres be opened in the 290 constituency headquarters. As at the time of the review, only 159 were operational.
MPs are concerned that agencies were not actualising recommendations, in some cases due to inadequate budgets.
It was also observed that some government officials unnecessarily delayed the implementation in total disregard of House orders.
MPs are also concerned that a majority of recommendations addressed to the EACC have not been implemented. It cited a case in the West Kano Irrigation Scheme where officials implicated in fraud allegations nine years ago were yet to be prosecuted.
“The EACC should take note of all recommendations directed to it and provide a status report within 60 days of the adoption of this report,” the committee said.
Lawmakers have also rapped NSSF bosses for failing to allocate more than Sh942 million pensioners’ cash to the owners.
MPs reported that during the review, it was established that members’ contributions amounting to Sh942,134,660 were still being held in suspense accounts.
“The NSSF should resolve the matter since pensioners whose contributions were not captured on time, experience difficulty following up with their employers,” the implementation team said.
At the same time, the standoff between NSSF and KRA over overpaid tax of Sh904 million remains unresolved.
In 2021, the Public Investments Committee, then under current Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, directed KRA to refund NSSF the overpaid tax within six months.
However, the implementation team found that KRA had not honoured the court ruling delivered in June 2016 concerning the amount.
“Arising from the submission by the NSSF chief executive officer, the committee observed that the NSSF had not implemented the recommendation satisfactorily,” the report reads.
The management of the NCPB was also queried for failing to punish employees who were linked to the maize scandal that rocked the agency in 2018.
It has since emerged that the management had not attempted to prosecute the employees who were engaged in the signing of the contract.
MPs want the management of NCPB to conduct internal investigations to identify the concerned current and former employees.
“The management should probe the loss of public funds and ensure the concerned employees are prosecuted,” the team said.
NCBP had also not resolved a query of bad debts as directed following the adoption of a Public Investments Committee report.
Trade ministry officials have also been reprimanded for failing to settle dues owed to former workers of Pan Paper Mills.
At the Agriculture Finance Corporation, the lawmakers cast doubt on the recoverability of Sh4.5 billion that was lent to farmers in the financial years ending 2004, 2006, 2010 and 2012.
The implementation committee
said the recoverability remains in
doubt unless a radical recovery strategy is used.
