Gov Waititu's Ridiculous Payments Baffle Senators

Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu, on Thursday, found himself in hot water after presenting documents he had not gone through, to the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee.

The governor was unable to answer questions that arose from the documents from 2017/18 financial year that he presented himself. 

The report showed that Kiambu County had allocated Ksh180 million for the administration of benefits to retired presidents. 

Ksh973 million was also documented to have been used in the coordination of State House functions and Ksh800 million for free primary education.

The report added that Ksh591 million was used on State Corporations Advisory Committee and Ksh58 million to support South Sudan's peace process. 

The Senators were baffled at how such monies were allocated for functions that clearly fell under the national government. 

Responding to the ridiculous payments on the document, the governor stated, "What I have also seen is new to me!"

He denied that none of the above payments had been made and the person who prepared the document may have relied on a template used by the national government. 

He was at a loss of words trying to tell the senators why he presented a document he had not read through. The governor tried to get his Finance CEC Kigo Njenga to discuss the contents of the document with the committee but he wasn't given the opportunity.

Kiambu County Communications Director Wairimu Githuka explained to Kenyans.co.ke that during the financial year in query, Kigo did not head the Finance docket. 

Kisii Senator Sam Ongeri came to the rescue of Waititu and suggested that the committee adjourns to a later date when the governor would come better prepared to answer the audit queries. 

Waititu was then reprimanded by Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi for the haphazard manner in which the tabled documents had been prepared.