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Hospital on the spot over pay to Seychelles medics

Friday, February 18th, 2022 04:00 | By
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu. PHOTO/People Daily/Library

The Kenyatta University Teaching Research and Referral Hospital (KUTRRH) is using public funds to pay salaries for 50 medical personnel posted to Seychelles as part of the Covid-19 response campaign. 

An audit by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu  on the use of the Covid funds between March 13 and July 31, 2020, currently before Parliament, shows the monthly remuneration for the 50 newly recruited staff is being charged from the Covid-19 fund. 

Newly recruited

The special audit indicates that the Kenyan government received Sh214.91 billion during the period under review to fight Covid-19. 

The funds included Sh113.18 billion loan from world bank, Sh78.33 billion loan from International Monetary Fund (IMF), Sh22.41 billion loan from Africa Development Bank (ADB), Sh638.31 million European Union (EU) loan and a Sh350 million grant from Danida. 

The kitty was funded through loans the government procured from the various development partners.  “The 50 newly recruited staff are serving in another country institution contrary to the purpose of the funds,” it says. 

The audit shows during the period under review, KUTRRH had received Sh1.3 billion from the Covid fund and as at October 2020, it had used Sh203.54 million. 

KUTRRH acting boss Dr Victor Njom, while appearing before the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday admitted that the request to send the medical personnel to Seychelles did not come with any financial support to the hospital.

Interestingly, Dr Njom did not provide PAC with any documentation showing travel details of the 50 medics to Seychelles. 

“How did they leave Kenya to work in another country without any documentation?” Masked PAC chairman Opiyo Wandayi wondered. 

Gatanga MP Joseph Ngugi, a PAC member, questioned the whole arrangement even as he told KUTRRH boss that he needed to be truthful to the committee. 

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