The National Intelligence Service (NIS) secretly pocketed Ksh1 billion from the digital lands system launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, April 27.
This is according to a report by the Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu who further questioned the nature of payment, considering that NIS denied her access to its records.
The spy agency detailed that its budget and expenditure is not open to public scrutiny.
Gathungu raised concerns over NIS involvement in developing the National Land Information Management System (NLIMS) dubbed Ardhisasa which transformed services from manual to digital at the Ministry of Lands.
Earlier reports hid NIS' hand in the system claiming that it was developed by Kenyan technicians for a period of 3 years.
"However, confirmation from the beneficiary institution as of June 30, 2020, was not attached as an appendix to the financial statements contrary to the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board’s requirement contained in the revised reporting template dated June 30, 2018, that requires duly signed confirmations to be obtained from the beneficiary institutions.
“No explanation has been provided for the omission," Gathungu stated and wondered why NIS failed to confirm that it was paid Ksh1 billion by the ministry under CS Farida Karoney.
Karoney's assistant, Lands PS Nicholas Muraguri, however, responded stating that NIS was involved owing to the security nature of the documents and the system.
"At the click of a button, users will now be able to search and carry out various land transactions, drastically reducing human interactions, delays and other inconveniences previously experienced at land registries," Uhuru assured Kenyans while launching the platform.
The system would be used to expedite land registration, transfers and also curb the rampant corruption synonymous with the Ministry of Lands.
"Compensations in the form of court awards eat into our budgetary plans.
"Most of these court cases arise from manipulation of manual records. Digitisation of land records is, therefore, critically important,” CS Karoney added.
