Queries over Sh10.8 million airtime for Water Department

Water and Sanitation Principal Secretary Joseph Wairagu Irungu. [File, Standard]

MPs want to know how State Department of Water spent Sh10.8 million on airtime in one financial year.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) was yesterday told that the department spent Sh18.5 million to procure airtime, cleaning services and security contracts that had expired.

This was in total disregard of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2005.

“During the year under review, the State Department of Water spent Sh10,755,000, Sh2.6 million and Sh5.2 million on airtime, cleaning services and security contracts respectively whose contracts had expired on June 30, 2013, and were not renewed,” says Auditor General Edward Ouko’s report of 2014-15.

In response, Water Principal Secretary Joseph Irungu said the services were shared amongst the departments housed at Maji House from other ministries like Fisheries Department.

“The department used services of other departments which had renewed their contracts,” said Irungu.

At the same time, the department bought a Sh7m-car for the ministry’s Cabinet Secretary in a breach of presidential circular that capped the expenditure on cars at Sh2 million.