Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has exposed Ksh2 Billion funds reported missing within his ministry.
The money was meant to fund a project President Uhuru Kenyatta launched to train children in public schools on tree planting and putting up nurseries in the schools.
The CS reported the missing funds to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), indicating names of possible suspects in connection with the disappearance of the funds.
According to the report submitted by the CS, there are powerful cartels who are behind illegal logging that is facilitated by corrupt officials within the Kenya Forest Service (KFS).
[caption caption="File image of President Kenyatta with Environment CS Keriako Tobiko"]
[/caption]
According to a report published on the Daily Nation, CS Tobiko's report may have been prepared in conjunction with a forestry task force mandated by Deputy President William Ruto.
In the damning report, the task force has discredited a statement made by former Forestry Principal Secretary Richard Lesiyampe, terming the green schools project a success.
"There is need for thorough investigations since this programme has been allocated huge sums of money with minimal impact," the task force recommended.
The task force chaired by Green Belt Movement Chair Marion Wakanyi Kamau flagged the project after a report submitted by ministry officials quoted 205 schools as having been covered with over 100,000 trees at the cost of Ksh2 Billion.
Broken down, the figures implied that every school had tree nurseries worth Ksh10 Million or every tree had cost Ksh20,000 to plant.
The task force further probed the conduct of KFS in dealing with loggers and further flagged the institution's branches where irregularities were found.
[caption caption="President Kenyatta, First Lady Margaret Kenyatta, DP William Ruto and CS Keriako Tobiko during May 13, 2018 tree planting exercise"]
[/caption]
