Global Fund auditors trail Aids cash

By Elizabeth Mwai

Top Global Fund auditors are in the country to inspect the utilisation of over Sh30 billion grant meant for fighting HIV/Aids, malaria and tuberculosis.

The team of six will visit government agencies and NGOs over use of the monies since 2002.

Care Kenya Country Director Stephen Vaughan has written to NGOs asking them to prepare for the six weeklong audit. The organisation is a recipient of the monies for civil societies.

"The purpose of this letter is to request your organisation to undertake the necessary preparations for this audit and to cooperate with the auditors during the period of the audit," said Vaughan.

The audit will cover the operations of the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM), the Local Fund Agent, the Principle and Sub Recipients.

The auditors will visit the National Aids Control Council, Health and Medical Services ministries, Global Fund Secretariat and NGOs.

According to sources the exercise has been prompted by claims of corruption over use of the billions of shillings granted in various rounds.

But the letter by Care boss says the Global Fund Office of Inspector General (OIG) objective is to assess the efficiency and effectiveness in the management and operation of grants.

NGOs will be required to have documentation of approved budget, work plans and monitoring and evaluation as well as procurement plans.

They will be asked to provide their fixed asset register, procedures and policies manual for grant management, payroll and personal files of their staff.

The inspectors will scrutinise a schedule of all advances made showing name, purpose, dates of issue, amounts accounted and unaccounted for.

Kenya had to return some monies for round two after the time for utilisation expired.

Utilisation of round two was characterised by claims of mismanagement making the Global Fund to ask Kenya to reform its structures in disbursing the monies.

Consequently Kenya has lost round eight and nine due to inconsistencies in the proposals submitted.

Round seven faced slow rate of disbursement especially from the civil societies.

Last month, the team visited Zambia and terminated programmes over alleged corruption.

All the programmes were given to UNDP.