MPs Raise Questions After Ministry of Mining Used Ksh.2 Million to Supply Office Tea
Lawmakers have voiced their concerns about the alleged mismanagement of public funds by the Ministry of Mining’s State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs during the 2021/22 fiscal year.
Principal Secretary Geoffrey Kaituko was summoned by the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee to explain how Ksh.28 million in per diem payments were utilized.
Parliamentarians contended that staff received compensation for more days than they worked, suggesting payments were made well beyond a year’s worth of service.
In defense, the PS broke down the expenditure, noting that Ksh.11.7 million went to officers involved in field operations, while Ksh.2.1 million was used for office tea supplies and other operational costs.
Shocked by these allocations, Soy MP David Kiplagat questioned the legitimacy of spending Ksh.2 million on office tea, urging the PS to document specific expenses during audits to avoid potential exploitation of system weaknesses.
Kiplagat expressed skepticism over the department’s financial management, questioning if accounts officials could differentiate between interests, claims, and per diems, especially when significant sums are allocated to questionable purposes like “sending people to search for tea.”
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The issue surfaced in an Auditor General’s report covering government activities from June 2021 to June 2022, which highlighted major discrepancies in per diem and voucher payments to staff.
Acknowledging the findings, the PS admitted that overpayments might have occurred and suggested a comprehensive review of payment vouchers from the 2021/22 fiscal year to confirm the claims.
“Perhaps we need the original vouchers, not just these samples. We likely need a week to gather all relevant data and present it to the committee,” the PS stated.
Butere MP Tindi Mwale, who chaired the session, further cast doubt on the validity of the sample vouchers used to justify payments, hinting that they might be fraudulent and insufficient for a credible audit.
He pointed out repeated entries where identical amounts were keyed in, suggesting potential system errors or manipulation.
The lawmaker called for a forensic audit to investigate the discrepancies and close any corruption loopholes.
“We need public officials who can own up to obvious mistakes instead of defending the indefensible,” Mwale emphasized.
MPs Raise Questions After Ministry of Mining Used Ksh.2 Million to Supply Office Tea
