President Uhuru Kenyatta's niece has been embroiled in a saga over the misuse of public funds and issuance of irregular tenders at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
According to People Daily, Nana Gechaga, the KICC chief executive, was summoned by the Parliamentary Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Thursday, September 19, to explain misappropriation of funds amounting to Ksh15 million.
The committee chaired by Mvita MP, Abdulswamad Nassir, wanted her to explain how tenders were issued and payments made to a US company.
"We want these people to tell us why KICC is faced with so many problems including a dip in revenue collection," Nassir states.
The millions were used for exhibition space in the US were way above the rates that IMEX America Limited had set.
IMEX America is the firm that organised the two-day event, between September 10 and 12, 2019 in Las Vegas.
In August 2019, Gecaga was once again in the limelight after organising a trip that cost Ksh10 million.
According to a report by Daily Nation, the KICC CEO authorised a trip to Mauritius to receive two awards and reportedly flew out the institution's entire management and board.
“With our approval, the listed will leave on May 30, 2019, and return on June 3, 2019, while the CEO together with her executive PA will leave on May 28, 2019, to attend the briefing ahead of the awards,” read part of letter that was prepared and signed by KICC Director of Business Development Services, Geoffrey Thande.
The expenditure did not, however, sit well with the Public Investments Committee (PIC) that oversights how government entities spend public funds.
“The committee is seized of the matter and is liaising with the Auditor- General to establish whether there was value for the money,” stated Nassir.
