Pilferage in State corporations laid bare before parliament

National Assembly Public Investment Committee Chairman Mvita MP Abdulswamad Shariff Nassir. (File, Standard)

The ongoing probe of State corporations expenditure of public funds by a parliamentary watchdog committee has disclosed how billions of taxpayers’ funds are easily being misappropriated.

The National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee (PIC) has been hosting parastatal bosses to respond to audit queries raised by the Auditor General, and startling revelations are being made of how easily corporations’ coffers are being raided.

Questionable procurement procedures and unsound investments are rampant in the majority of parastatals whose bosses have so far appeared before the committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir.

Connived to swindle

This shows how tax-burdened Kenyans are easily being swindled, and not receiving value for the money invested in the projects undertaken by the corporations.

“It is shocking how money channeled to these parastatals is being expedited. The figures that are being quoted in these audit reports and where you clearly see that those responsible connived to swindle are startling.

“They are running into billions, sadly, in a country where many are languishing in want,” Nassir says.

He adds: “We have a duty to ensure that public finances are prudently expedited and for as long as I am the chairman of this watchdog committee, we will hold to account those responsible for the pilferage”.

From National Social Security Fund, National Hospital Insurance Fund, Kenya Airports Authority, and nearly all parastatals whose bosses have appeared before PIC, the underlying story is that of Kenyans not getting value for their taxes following rampant corruption that have dogged their investment plans.

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), whose management has in the last few weeks been shuttling from their Embakasi offices to the dreaded Room Seven of Parliament – the home of the watchdog committee – gave the shocking disclosure of the week.

The committee heard how the contractor who was to undertake the construction of the ambitious Greenfield Terminus at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) was paid Sh 4.31 billion without doing any work.