The Auditor General’s Report on County Governments covering the Financial Year 2022-2023 has detailed how Murang’a County lost Ksh22 million through dubious transactions.
According to the auditor general, the funds disappeared months before the current administration came into power.
Detailing how the cash was being looted, the Office of Auditor General (OAG) revealed that a dubious account would be created whereby huge sums of money would be deposited.
The money would then be channelled or withdrawn under unclear circumstances and at one point, over Ksh20 million got lost moments after hitting the bank account.
It was reported that the misappropriation of funds started during the 2020/2021 financial year when the then-county executive opened a bank account by the name of Small Traders Empowerment Fund Account.
While the purpose of the account was not clearly outlined, it immediately received a Ksh22 million deposit made in two batches.
The first deposit of Ksh12 million was made on April 12, 2021, and the rest was deposited on January 31, 2022.
Detailing the paper trail, the OAG noted that later, Murang’a County Government opened another bank account named Small Traders Empowerment Loan Account
Part of the money that had been deposited in the previous account was now transferred to the new account in equal batches of Ksh10 million.
“Review of records revealed that an amount of Kshs.20,000,000 was transferred from the Small Traders Empowerment Fund Account to the Small Traders Empowerment Loan Account in two equal instalments of Ksh10 million each on January 27, 2022, and February 4, 2022,” the report detailed.
The two batches were being immediately wired to another account named Wachuuzi immediately the money hit the account.
A few hours after the transactions were initiated, the OAG lost the paper trail as the money was withdrawn by unspecified people who did not account for its utilisation.
“As at the time of audit in October 2023, the Small Traders Empowerment Fund Account and the Small Traders Empowerment Loan Account had a credit balance of Ksh9,190 and a Nil balance respectively,” it was revealed.
“In the circumstances, the regularity and completeness of transferred funds of Ksh.21,990,810 could not be confirmed.”
