An audit before Members of Parliament has revealed astonishing details of expenditures by the State Department of Water.
Auditor General Edward Ouko, in the report, queries the use of Sh10.8 million on airtime all in a single financial year.
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) were on Thursday informed that the department spent a total of Sh18.5 million on airtime, cleaning and security services all procured through expired contracts.
[caption caption="Government officials outside Maji house(PHOTO/COURTESY)"]
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“During the year under review, the State Department of Water spent Sh10, 755,000, Sh2.6 million and Sh5.2 million on airtime, cleaning services and security contracts respectively whose contracts had expired on June 30, 2013, and were not renewed,” the audit report reads in part.
The department’s 2014/15 financial year expenditures have been flagged as being in contravention with Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005.
In a written response to PAC, the Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu claimed that the services were shared with other ministry departments at Maji House.
Irungu identified the Department of Fisheries as being part of the beneficiaries yet it was in a different ministry.
A decision to purchase a car at Ksh7 Million for the former Environment CS Judi Wakhungu has also put the department under scrutiny.
The acquisition was done in violation of a State House directive that capped car expenses at Ksh2 Million.
Irungu said the CS was entitled to a car allowance of Kshs7 million taxable as per the presidential circular.
The PS admitted that the ministry erroneously paid Kshs7 Million to Toyota Kenya without remitting a 30 percent tax deduction of Kshs2.1 million to Kenya Revenue Authority.
[caption caption="Former Environment CS Prof Judi Wakhungu (PHOTO/COURTESY)"]
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