Auditor General Edward Ouko has revealed how Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) around the country are now bulldozing their way into misusing taxpayers funds.
In a report tabled last week Thursday at the Senate, Ouko revealed that MCAs, who are mandated with appointing their respective house speakers, always take advantage of the privilege to demand foreign and bench-marking trips.
The Auditor General further disclosed it was the main reason for animosity between the two parties in the county assembly with each fighting to take control of the resources.
Ouko’s report stated that some of the assemblies often eye the per diems resulting from foreign trips so much so that they attend international workshop and training services that can be availed internally at way lesser costs.
For instances, MCAs from Lamu county spent more than Ksh10 million in Dubai for such trainings which could be provided in Kenya at cheaper costs.
The report further revealed that besides foreign trips, the MCAs have devised new ways to pocket money through organising unnecessary committee meetings and capitalising on tribalism.
Most notorious counties include Nairobi, Kiambu, Turkana, Vihiga, Machakos, Lamu, Mombasa among several others.
In an earlier report by Kenyans.co.ke, Elgeyo Marakwet county was put on the spot by the Auditor General for having more than half of the staff representing one ethnic community.
This was in contravention of the Kenyan laws which require that at least 30 per cent of all the staff posts in a particular county assembly be filled by people, not from the dominant ethnic community.
Nairobi City County spent more than Ksh100 million shillings in sitting allowances which was an increase by 12.5 per cent, whereas Kiambu County disbursed Ksh280,000 as sitting allowances to each MCA for the 2016/2017 financial period yet some did not appear in various sittings.
