Public Accounts Committee grills Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution on Sh77 million expenditure

PAC Chairman Namwamba during the coommittee meeting with Ministry of Planning PS Peter Mangiti at Paliament on over CDF(photo:boniface okendo)

The House Public Accounts Committee (PAC) wants the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) to account for over Sh77.5 million whose documentation they said is either missing or misappropriated.

The committee yesterday met the commission CEO John Nyonje and demanded answers on how the money was spent, including documentation for various items procured between 2011 and 2012.

Part of the money that could not be accounted for stems from rent payment for the commission's premises in Westlands, but which remained unoccupied for 10 months, said PAC.

According to PAC, CIC is also unable to provide documentation for Sh20.4 million used in hiring of commission vehicles, stationery and other assorted items during the period.

PAC wants CIC to satisfactorily explain the expenditure or institute recovery proceedings against officials responsible for the mess before the commission's term ends in 15 months' time.

"Before the term expires, it must recover every single penny lost or misappropriated under its watch. The commission must be seen to be setting very high standards," said committee chairperson, Ababu Namwamba (pictured).

Njonje, however, told the committee that previous officers who served at the commission should be held accountable for the expenditure. He said during the period under question, most of the secretariat work was undertaken by officers seconded to CIC by the National Government and that the current secretariat had already instituted measures to ensure that the money was accounted for.

"Between 2011 and 2012, there were various challenges at the commission. We came into office and found that some of the issues being raised here were existent. We then wrote to the various offices involved to seek answers," Nyonje said.

He said part of the gaps in the CIC accounts arose from the high turnover of CEOs at the commission. "I am the fifth CEO since CIC was formed," he said.

Queries on the commission's expenditure were raised by the Auditor General in a report.