Public Accounts Committee Questions ICT Project Under-utilisation of KSh130 Million Allocation

The National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee interrogated Principal Secretary John Tanui of the State Department for Information Communication and Technology over the Horn of Africa Gateway Development Project receiving only about 45 percent of its KSh130 million allocation.

The committee noted that the National Treasury released KSh59 million, representing roughly 45.4 percent of the approved amount, and Tanui explained that the ICT Authority had not requested the balance because a substantial portion had been carried forward as unutilised funds from the 2022/2023 financial year.

Committee members also examined KSh9,150,580 in remitted funds that remained unspent, with Tanui attributing the shortfall to delays in road construction by the Kenya National Highways Authority, which have stalled the installation of optic-fibre cables linked to the ICT component.

Chairperson Tindi Mwale, the Butere MP, highlighted that the Auditor-General has repeatedly flagged such under-utilisation and expressed concern over a mismatch in public spending where some departments lack resources while others fail to use allocated funds.

In a separate session, Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi of the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries faced audit queries from the same committee.

The hearings form part of Parliament’s oversight function to scrutinise government expenditure and obtain explanations for issues identified in audit reports.