The National Assembly's Public Investments Committee on Friday, March 15, scrutinized how a consultant engineer received Ksh22.5 million in overpayment.
The legislators accused the engineer of defrauding the government by inflating the budget for supervising the renovation and construction of a warehouse at the Kenya Medical and Supplies Authority (KEMSA) offices.
Upon discovering the irregular payment, it was highlighted in the report of Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu on the accounts of KEMSA for the 2017/18 financial year.
The engineer, who appeared before the parliamentary committee, encountered difficulty in explaining the overpayment.
“You owe Kenyans Ksh22 million that you were overpaid,” noted Navakholo Member of Parliament Emmanuel Wangwe.
Documents of the contract agreement availed before the committee did not specify the exact cost price for the consultant engineer for supervision of the renovation and construction of the warehouse.
The Committee was also informed that the company irregularly extended the time for the completion of the works from 47 weeks as contained in the contract agreement to a whopping 194 weeks.
The irregular extension saw the Committee conclude that it was a deal to siphon public funds after the engineer failed to offer a plausible explanation.
The Committee also wondered how the contractor would change the designs without any supervision.
Despite being paid, the contractor could not provide the project's certificates of completion and handover to the government.
This comes as the auditors warned that the contract was still open, meaning it will continue to drain Kenyans unless it is closed.
Meanwhile, the Members of Parliament vowed to follow up on the matter to ensure the individuals involved in the fraudulent deal that saw the govt lose millions in the botched tender are brought to book.
