Governors used more than Sh30 million as petty cash without following due procedure and made massive withdrawals of funds, Auditor-General Edward Ouko said on Wednesday told the Senate committee on Finance.
Mr Ouko said the county chiefs ignored procurement rules and failed to put in place system to stop irregular spending.
“We had expected that before this reckless spending, they should have first ensured that proper systems were in place. However, even where the systems and regulations were in place, the same were grossly flouted by governors,” he said.
Mr Ouko noted that regional governments ignored the directions given to them by the Transition Authority in handling bank accounts they had inherited from local authorities.
POSSIBLE PROSECUTION
Instead, the county governments continued to use the same channels that led to financial improprieties.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption commission (EACC) has been given the report for possible prosecution of those who will be found guilty of mismanaging their finances,” said the Auditor General as he presented audit findings he recently conducted in the counties to the committee chaired by Mandera Senator Billow Kerrow.
He lamented that many governors declined to respond to audit queries from his office.
“Many governors did not take our work seriously and that is why they did not respond to queries,” said Mr Ouko.
He said that his office was now taking over the verification of assets and liabilities in counties due to failure by TA to carry out the task effectively.
Mr Kerrow asked the Auditor General to provide the Senate with a breakdown of money that was lost in counties for appropriate action to be taken.
“I am directing that governors who have been given their counties reports make a written response, for the Senate to find out challenges the devolved units are facing, resulting to audit queries raised,” he said.
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