A Nairobi County watchdog committee is now investigating how officials at Mutuini Hospital irregularly spent Sh309,734 meant for the purchase of emergency drugs.
The public accounts committee today heard that officials bought cooking gas and charcoal with funds meant for crucial and emergency drugs.
The Wilfred Odalo-led committee was grilling finance chief officer Washington Makodingo and officials from the hospital over the irregular expenditure.
They were investigating an audit query raised by the auditor General Edward Ouko, who had highlighted that the hospital had collected revenue amounting to Sh3.4 million but only Sh3.1 million was banked. This means that Sh309,734 was spent at source.
“We have no problem with the hospital spending at source as long as they produce the vouchers. But what we have received today are only vouchers of the purchase of cooking gas. Do you mean all this money was only used to purchase cooking gas,” posed Karen MCA David Mberia.
Nominated MCA Silvia Museiya and Kilimani MCA Moses Ogeto sought to know how cooking gas falls under the emergency drugs category and further poked holes on why one cooking gas was bought on the April 19 and the others on 23rd, four days apart.
Different prices
She was concerned as to why three cooking gas cylinders all weighing 13 Kgs were differently priced which she said raised suspicion. One cylinder was priced at Sh10, 800, another at 2,800 and the third one at 2,300.
“Even though they bought cooking gas totalling Sh20, 500 we still do not have evidence showing where the other over Sh300, 000 went,” stated Museiya.
Chief Officer Makodingo, however, explained that the cooking gas was used for maternity procedures at the public facility.
“Mutuini has maternity services which means they even do sterilization and that requires the use of cooking gas cylinders,” stated Mr Makodingo.
He was, however, unable to explain the remaining expenditure amounting to more than Sh300, 000 and requested to be given more time to table evidence before the committee.
“I am now aware that the annexures we provided are not clear and I propose that we go reconcile our records and appear back to the committee on Monday with all the evidence,” pleaded the chief officer.
Committee chairman Wilfred Odalo ruled that the officials appear before the committee again next week and furnish the committee with adequate evidence.
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