More legislators on the spot over misuse of constituency cash
Mercy Mwai and Anthony Mwangi
More Members of Parliament have been fingered by the Auditor-General over the use of funds allocated to school projects in their constituencies.
Delay in implementation of projects due to misappropriation of funds has continued to dog, a report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has revealed.
In the report tabled in the National Assembly on the audit of National Government- Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) projects, Gathungu regrets that the projects financed by the Fund had unsupported expenditures while others had poor workmanship.
The report further states that some projects were either not approved while others had inflated costs.
Tution block
Among the constituencies fingered include Bonchari, Endebess, Nambale, Navakholo, Wajir South, Mwingi West, Yatta, Kitui Central, Kibra, Chuka Igambang’ombe, Westlands and Rabai.
In the case of Bonchari constituency whose MP is Pavel Oimeke, the report cites five projects which were either unapproved or had unsupported expenditures.
Projects include construction of a tuition block at Nyakung’u primary school worth Sh2.6 million but had unapproved change of tender terms which was done with any written document, authorising the change or Variation of Bill of Quantities, the construction of Bomokora Chief’s camp which the contractor was paid Sh2.6 million but the expenditure was above the allocation of Sh1.5 million that had been approved adding that the work done was below average.
“In the circumstances, regularity of the expenditure of Sh2.6 million incurred in the project could not be confirmed,” reads the report.
Other projects include the construction of Lyabe chief’s camp, which despite Sh650 million being paid for the project, a physical verification of the project shows that project was not branded, the construction of Bomwancha Chief’s office at a cost of Sh2.6 million yet the expenditure was not adequately supported with relevant documents including payment vouchers, contract agreements and land title deeds.
In Chuka Igambangombe, a constituency represented by Patrick Munene, 59 projects with a funding of Sh40.2 million were either ongoing or not started by the time of the audit.
