The Public Investment Committee on Education has handed Egerton University Vice Chancellor Isaac Ogumbo seven days to pay a Ksh500,000 fine or face dire consequences.
This is after the committee, chaired by Bumula Constituency MP Wanami Wamboka, realised that the Vice Chancellor had failed to pay a fine from a previous session.
The lawmakers have called on Ogumbo to clarify the Auditor General's report, which pointed out a number of inconsistencies within the organisation.
However, until Ogumbo pays the Ksh500,000 fine, the audit session has been halted. “You were fined and haven’t paid. We cannot proceed like that,” said Wamboka.
“This committee won’t entertain impunity. Settle the fine first,” the Committee chairperson added. It was during the session that the Committee decided to give Ogumbo 7 days to comply.
“You have until next Wednesday to pay. If not, both you and your team will be summoned,” Wamboka warned. The committee emphasised that accountability was non-negotiable for all public institutions.
During the session, other heads of higher learning institutions also came under scrutiny, including the Baringo Technical University Principal, who was at pains to explain the encroachment of the university land by outsiders.
The auditor general’s report revealed encroachment on the university’s land. “How did you allow this to happen under your watch?” questioned MP Wamboka.
The committee members demanded clarity on who was grabbing the land and if the institution had taken legal steps to curb the menace.
Nonetheless, the MPs termed the principal's answers as vague and unsatisfactory, forcing the meeting to end prematurely. The Baringo Technical University Principal was told to return, as auditors will visit the institution to conduct on-ground verification.
Narok West Technical Training Institute was next, represented by Principal David More. The auditor’s report highlighted that the institution's land had not been valued and fully documented.
Another issue facing the Institute was the low enrollment, with the MPs demanding to know why the school population only stood at 300 students.
“You are too relaxed. Why aren’t you advertising and recruiting?” questioned Central Imenti Constituency MP Moses Kirima. The committee urged a more aggressive enrollment strategy.
