General Badi summoned to explain where Covid-19 funds went
Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Director-General Mohammed Badi has been summoned by senators to shed light on the whereabouts of Sh180.07 million raised to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The said funds include Nairobi City County’s own generated revenue and Danish International Development Agency’s (Danida) donation to boost the war against the pandemic.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has recommended that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) investigate officials of the NMS over alleged irregular withdrawal and loss of Sh32.38 million meant to fight the virus.
The Senate Health committee also invited Nairobi Deputy Governor Ann Kananu and her executive to explain what they termed as cross-cutting issues involving NMS and City Hall.
The committee chaired by Trans Nzoia Senator Michael Mbito is currently grilling governors and their executives on the special audit report of the Auditor General on the utilisation of Covid-19 funds by the county governments.
“We had invited the NMS Director General in his capacity as the Chief Executive of the entity, because the issues we should discuss can only be responded by the DG, so in his absence we have to reschedule this meeting,” Mbito ruled yesterday as he send away NMS deputy Director General Kang’ethe Thuku and Director Health Service Dr Ouma Oluga.
The two had appeared before the nine-member panel via zoom on behalf of Badi to respond to audit queries raised in the special report by the Auditor General.
“In our next meeting we will also have the deputy governor Ann Kananu and her county executives to also respond on issues that concern their domain, the functions that were not transferred to NMS,” Mbito added.
Citing Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakango’s special report on Covid-19 funds released last year, Gathungu observed that City Hall and NMS received Sh17.60 million as Danida funds and Sh164.47 million as own source funds.
“The special audit could not establish whether Danida funds were received and utilised at the NMS or by the county government since neither of the two entities has relevant documents,” the report says.
The report shows that NMS received a total of Sh294.38 million from the national government to fight the pandemic.
As at July 31, 2020, the NMS had incurred expenses of Sh97.32 million which included procurement and payment of facilitation of health workers.
The money excludes the county’s own source revenue and Danida funds pumped into the fight against the virus.
