Treasury Cabinet Secretary nominee John Mbadi has proposed stringent measures to address the persistent issue of pending bills within government entities, advocating for the criminalization of failure to settle these obligations.
Speaking during his vetting by the Committee on Appointments, Mbadi emphasized the importance of adhering to the Public Finance Management Act, which mandates the prioritization of pending bills.
"The Public Finance Management Act provides that pending bills should be prioritized, but there is a need to criminalize the failure by some government entities to pay," Mbadi stated.
He highlighted his commitment to implementing a robust system that ensures the chronological settlement of bills.
"I will make sure that we have a system in place which locks anyone who attempts to pay a new bill and ignores an old one. The system can lock you out so that it operates on a first-in, first-out basis. If a bill is supposed to be payable, let it be paid," he directed.
Mbadi's proposed system aims to prevent the common practice of bypassing older bills in favour of newer ones, ensuring that all pending obligations are addressed in a timely manner.
This approach seeks to eliminate the loopholes that allow for selective payment practices, which have plagued the government's financial management.
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula supported Mbadi's stance, revealing the extent of corruption related to the prioritization of pending bills.
Wetangula recalled a troubling period approximately eight years ago, where a committee established to verify pending bills became a hub of bribery and corruption.
"You remember about eight years ago, there was a committee to verify pending bills. It became a toll station, and all it was doing was to go to a town like Eldoret, pitch in a hotel, and people with so-called pending bills turned up with briefcases and had their pending bills approved," Wetangula recounted.
Mbadi's proposals, if implemented, could significantly enhance transparency and accountability in handling pending bills.
By ensuring that all bills are paid in the order they are received, and by criminalizing the failure to adhere to this process, the government aims to restore trust and efficiency in its financial operations.
