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Kenya: How Taxpayer Lost Sh1 Billion on Fictitious Prison Bills

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4 years ago

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The taxpayer lost more than Sh1 billion in irregular payment of fictitious bills from prisons during the 2017/18 financial year, the Nation has learnt.

The payouts were flagged by a report of Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu for the 2019/20 financial year. It shows Sh555.65 million was paid for fabricated supplies and Sh419 million in overpayment.

The details were shared by Correctional Services Principal Secretary Zeinab Hussein when she met the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi yesterday.

The revelations raised questions on the management of public funds in prisons as furious MPs demanded action from senior ministry officials.

MPs directed the PS to produce the list of individuals and firms that got paid for supplying hot hair and those who were overpaid. Garissa Township MP Aden Duale also asked her to include a list of the prison stations that allegedly benefitted from the ‘supplies’.

Ms Hussein said the matter is now under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). “We inherited these pending bills, only to discover that they had anomalies. The matter was forwarded to the EACC last,” she said.

Mr Wandayi, Mr Duale and John Waluke (Sirisia), however, wondered why the commission was taking too long to conclude investigations.

“This is a fairly old issue, yet no heads have rolled over these acts. They should move faster. We need names of the characters who got paid for supplying hot air to the government,” the Ugunja MP said.