When governor Mike Sonko took over as the boss at Nairobi county, his first cry was that the his predecessor an a majority of his team were corrupt. Sonko said that the County was actually going down on it’s knees as crucial and essential services could not be rendered to Citizens due to inadequate funds some of which were looted by Kidero and his team.
Sonko’s claims have now been confirmed by auditor General Edward Ouko who in his 2016-2017 report revealed massive theft and plunder at the Nairobi county amounting to billions of shilling in unaccounted funds. The report was tabled in Senate by Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen.
Ouko revealed that of the entire revenue collected in Nairobi, only 22 per cent made it to the bank. The rest was allegedly spent at the source. This he attributed to a porous revenue collection system.
For instance, the county collected Sh10,933,201,475 as per the county’s own generated receipts and only Sh2,420,840,729 was banked in the County Revenue Fund Account.
“The balance of Sh8,512,360,746 was spent at the source contrary to Section 109 of the Public Finance and Management Act, 2017,” Ouko said.
Nairobi, the report says, acquired assets of Sh1,762,711,478 during the year under review but the county could only support acquisition amounting to Sh61,174,422 as paid.
“There was no documentary evidence of the balance of Sh1,701,537,056 as having been paid. The accuracy of the expenditures totaling Sh1,762,711,478 on acquisition of assets cannot therefore be confirmed,” Ouko’s report says.
Ouko’s report further revealed that the county government did not allocate money to essential sectors like the health sector with shocking revelations made on how more than Sh290 million capitation for free maternity funds to four hospitals was not disbursed despite receiving free maternity reimbursement from the Health ministry.
Pumwani Maternity Hospital received only Sh173,851,907 out of the Sh342,305,100 it was entitled to. This left an undisbursed balance of Sh168,453,193.
Mama Lucy Kibaki County Hospital received nothing during that year. It was supposed to receive cumulative reimbursement of Sh17,340,000.
Another county health facility – Dagoretti SubDistrict Hospital was expecting to receive a reimbursement of Sh4,590,000, but was only got Sh1,280,916. This resulted to a shortfall of Sh3,309,084.
“Mbagathi Hospital had 4,281 deliveries during the year and the total amount to be reimbursed for the deliveries for the year under review was Sh21,405,000. However, no reimbursement was made to the hospital during the year.”
Most of the non-pharmaceutical items at Mbagathi worth Sh3,055,944 were almost expiring.
In what exposed the extent of the rot in the Kenya’s largest county’s health system, the county spent Sh30,369,141 to buy binding certificates, fixing of curtain blinds, rheumatoid factor test kits, staff uniforms, cleaning materials and rehabilitation of Plains View dispensary.None of the supplies was delivered and procurement was allegedly not done through Ifmis as required by law.
Ouko also questioned how parts of Komarock ward offices and Komarock playing fields, both in Embakasi Central, Karen Health Centre andMatuini Hospital found themselves in private hands.
He said a good chunk of City Park has been encroached by private developers and business enterprises.
Most encroachment, he said, happened around Eden Rehabilitation Centre, Joseph Murumba Memorial Park and Bowling Green Safari.
The auditor general had last year revealed how Governors had presided over the likely loss of billions of shillings in unsupported expenditure, ghost projects, irregular payments and faulty procurement.
The ghost of corruption seem to be infiltrating into our Counties as the days go by. In fact it seems like theft of county resources just gets better as the days go by.
What do you think is the lasting solution to this menace?