Aden Duale and Ekwe Ethuro named in audit scandal

The Auditor General has exposed top leaders in the august House for spending public funds but failing to account for them.

According to Edward Ouko, some of the leaders also failed to surrender the balance of the funds to the accountant in Parliament.

Those named include Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, Majority Leader Aden Duale and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen.

A total of 100 MPs violated the country’s money laws and regulations regarding accounting for imprest.

The imprest said to have been squandered is Sh101 million. And learning from the bosses, 99 staff of Parliament are also on the spot.

The Auditor General has also exposed another scandal where unnamed MPs went abroad for trips paid for by the taxpayer, took some extra money for upkeep aside from their daily allowance but when they came back, they failed to give receipts on how they spent the money.

Others filed for allowances but there are no records that they took the foreign trips, where Sh79 million was paid to tour firms for air tickets.

The report tabled in the House also pointed out fictitious procurement of goods and services worth Sh81 million.

The Parliamentary Service Commission and some of the House committees such as the Public Investments Committee are also on the spotlight. According to Ouko, the National Assembly Public Investment Committee chaired by Eldas MP Adan Keynan could also not support payment of Sh4.4 million spending with relevant documentation or attendees to meeting.

The report shows Ethuro is yet to clear Sh989,000, Laboso Sh48,000, Duale Sh450,000 and Murkomen Sh899,000.

National Assembly Public Accounts Committee Chair Nicholas Gumbo (Rarieda) is yet to clear Sh176,000 and ODM Chair John Mbadi (Suba) Sh346,000.

“Imprest payment totalling Sh8.9 million to staff attached to various committees and subsequent surrender documentation exposes irregularities,” said Ouko.

Not supported

He added: “Two imprest surrenders of Sh1.5 million and Sh795,720 were not supported with relevant documentary evidence, hence the propriety of these payments could not be confirmed.”

Some of the legislators are yet to even start repaying the funds.

The audit queries come at a time the commission chaired by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi sought the assistance of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to undertake a system audit of the august House following claims of graft.

Some of the areas identified by the anti-graft body was on imprest, allowances and mileage claims.

Ouko took issue with various discrepancies in the commission’s accounts, including the Sh1.06 million paid to an officer of the Technical Evaluation Committee and Sh2.1 million set aside to facilitate the committee’s work for the proposed multi-storey office block.

“No documentary evidence has been produced to support this payment,” said Ouko.

The commission cannot explain the whereabouts of Sh79.5million meant for foreign travels and Sh81 million for goods under offices and general supplies.