Auditor General probes health kitty in 10 counties

Auditor General Edward Ouko

Auditor General Edward Ouko has commenced a special audit of funds from ministry of health to at least ten counties.

Ouko's office has written to the ten counties asking them to provide relevant documents on the expenditure and programs supported by the funds.

Among the monies the Auditor wants to know how they were utilized are funds from the World Bank, Free Maternity and Food Ration programme.

In a letter to the counties, the Auditor General office has notified Lamu, Nyeri, Kilifi, Laikipia, Mombasa, Narok, Nakuru, Migori, Bungoma and Kisumu Counties.

"The special audit is subsequent to a request from the Public Accounts Committee to the Auditor General to conduct a special audit on MOH with regard to procurement and payments for various good and services for the finical year 2015/2016," the letter dated 16th May, 2017 and signed by Acting Deputy Auditor General F. O. Odhiambo reads in part.

It adds; "The purpose of this letter is to notify you of the planned visit and to request you nominate your staff that was directly involved with management of the funds to avail procurement and expenditure records." The exercise will commence on 29th May and end on the 29th June.

Ouko has asked the counties to provide bank statements though which funds were received, cash book, payment vouchers supporting the expenditure and goods received notes for fund rations for Mombasa, Narok, Kilifi, Lamu, Nakuru and Kisumu counties.

In the current financial year, the ministry disbursed Sh4.5 billion against Sh6.7 billion claimed by the counties for the free maternity and user fee waiver between 1st July 2016 and 20th February 2017.

These are the only funds that CoG wants audited by the ministry subject to agreements on the mechanisms to be applied.