Auditor General Edward Ouko has raised concerns over confidential withdrawals and expenditures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In a report tabled in the National Assembly by Majority Leader Aden Duale, Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) records show that Sh 450 million was withdrawn from Confidential Expenditure then used to fund 2017 campaigns.
This was part of Ksh5.1 billion expenditure from the Ministry whose questions were raised by the Auditor General.
According to Ouko, the funds were used to pay ineligible police officers, irregular missions abroad and misuse of confidential expenditure withdrawals.
The report also highlighted Sh 2.7 billion which was set aside and now being used to construct Ambassadorial residence together with four houses of staff and a Chancery center in Pretoria, South Africa.
Mr. Ouko’s report estimated that the construction cost is likely to increase especially with a dispute between Kenya’s High Commission and Iranian Embassy over the boundary.
Ouko also revealed that Kenya, through the same Ministry, owns properties in nine countries but they are not properly documented.
In fact, his office was not able to interpret seven of those properties’ documentation from seven countries properly as they were written in foreign languages.
Other payments on the spot from the Confidential Expenditures unit include Sh50 million whose Sh30 million was wired towards a different Governmental Agency.
Also, more than Sh15 million was reportedly paid in insurance premiums for Medical Insurance and Property for Kenya High Commission in London and Kenya Permanent Mission in Geneva.
