Senators Ejects Governor From Meeting Over Audit Report Inconsistency, Order Re-Submission
The County Public Investments and Special Funds Senate Committee cut short its meeting with Nyamira Governor Amos Nyaribo on Friday, demanding that a more comprehensive audit report be submitted to them within 21 days.
The Nyamira Governor appeared before the committee to explain discrepancies in the use of county funds in the Municipality of Nyamira for the fiscal years 2020/2021, 2021/2022, and 2022/2023 respectively.
The committee, led by Senator Godfrey Osotsi, expressed serious concerns about several development projects in the municipality that were highlighted in the Auditor General’s report.
According to a statement published on the official Parliament website on September 6, the committee focused primarily on irregularities in road construction projects and unsupported hotel allowances.
Senate Committee on County Public Investments halts its review of Nyamira municipality’s audit responses, demanding a fresh audit amid concerns over irregularities in road projects & unsupported allowances. A new report is due in 21 days. https://t.co/YXWFs8VSYe pic.twitter.com/iLxcnuP0Wx
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) September 6, 2024
The governor was asked about delays in the completion of two public roads: the Public Works Offices – Nyamira Hospital Junction Road and the Borabu Inn-Golan Heights Resort.
The embattled Governor assured the committee that it had resumed and was nearing completion.
Nyaribo also addressed concerns about unsupported hotel allowances.
“There was an administrative oversight in maintaining proper records. We have since rectified this issue and implemented stricter controls to ensure all expenditures are properly documented,” Nyaribo defended.
However, the committee found the explanation unsatisfactory because they were unable to authenticate the documents because they were not presented to the auditor during the first audit.
Osotsi directed the governor to submit a constructive report to the Auditor General and ordered a re-audit of the road projects in particular.
This was in light of the report’s inconsistencies regarding the two road projects and unsubstantiated hotel allowances.
He concluded his statement by setting a deadline for the new report.
“The auditors are to report back to this committee within 21 days with the updated audited report. This will allow for a more thorough examination of the county’s financial management,” stated Osotsi.
Counties have recently come under fire for mismanagement of funds, with a recent proposal to reduce county budgets from Ksh400 billion to Ksh385 billion to address this issue.
Governor Nyaribo, on the other hand, has consistently been one of the most vocal governors in terms of auditing his team at Nyamira County, with his most recent audit taking place in May 2023 and focusing on irregular promotions.
In the same month, 79 Nyamira County employees were suspended following a crackdown on fake certificates in the county.
Senators Ejects Governor From Meeting Over Audit Report Inconsistency, Order Re-Submission
