Nairobi, Kenya: Their blue, green or GK number plates make them stand out while on the road or in the parking lot. But despite this conspicuousness, State officials do not shy away from using Government vehicles for their personal activities, even at night.
The civil servants, both in the national and county governments, are wasting millions of shillings of tax payers money running personal errands that include taking their children to school and visiting nightclubs using Government vehicles. President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto announced they would take a 20 per cent pay cut to curb the soaring wage bill.
This austerity measure, it is obvious, will come to naught if the Government does not rein on misuse of State resources.
In Nakuru County, the sight of Government vehicles parked outside nightclubs, female college students’ hostels and in schools during visiting days has become the norm.
Nightspots Some of the State employees even go ahead and use the vehicles to ferry brides and grooms during weddings in spite of regulations that bar Government vehicles from being used for private activities. The vehicles in Nakuru County are mostly abused on Fridays and at the weekend.
Two weekends of night investigations have revealed how civil servants are misusing State vehicles with abandon. Every weekend, the vehicles litter the parking spaces of popular nightclubs and restaurants along Kenyatta Avenue, Kanu Street, Gusii, Oginga Odinga and Kipchoge Keino roads. Students’ hostels in Nakuru town estates are also popular with the county and national government vehicles.
At Mburu Gichua Road last Friday, a 14-seater GK vehicle labelled Nakuru Treasury dropped unidentified female students minutes to 10pm. Uncomfortable with our presence, the driver drove off towards Afraha Stadium with some passengers still on board. Another parastatal vehicle, KBR 242U belonging to Kenya Forest Service was parked outside Quality Pub late in the night, as Government officers entertained themselves.
Outside Uncle Sam Pub, a vehicle with registration GKA 319 S was sandwiched between others late in the night. Another parastatal vehicle registration number KBW 895V was at the parking lot of Garden Villa nightclub.
Transport rules Similarly, GK B 213E was parked outside Samba Club for hours, as the officers partied the night away. Investigations by The Standard have revealed that some unscrupulous State officers conceal the GK number plates with private ones to avoid detection. They then use the vehicles to ferry commuters for some extra cash. The officers have ignored a directive issued by the Government late last year directing that all State vehicles should be utilised in accordance with the law.
According to the circular issued by Finance Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, all Government vehicles found on the road after the stipulated hours would be impounded, with their drivers being surcharged for using the vehicles outside the approved hours - past 7pm. The circular was released a week to Christmas. In the new transport rules, Rotich said there were too many Government vehicles on the road outside working hours, with some officers sometimes using the vehicles even when they are not on duty.
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