Accounting officers of various universities and technical training institutions face surcharge for loss of money under their watch.
National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Education wants the chief executive officers, principals and directors general of the institutions slapped with the bills after they failed to justify expenditures.
The review covered universities, colleges and technical training institutions in Nyanza. It requires approval in plenary.
Jaramogi University vice chancellor is among those slapped with the surcharge of Sh55,250 that was irregularly paid to an officer who was involved in preparation of data for the Commission for University Education within the university precinct.
Kisumu Polytechnic principal also faces a surcharge of more than Sh2 million, which was paid to casual workers but deemed irregular by auditors.
“The amount is to be paid within six months after the adoption of this report by the House,” the Bumula MP Jack Wamboka-led committee said in a report tabled in Parliament.
The committee further surcharged the principal Sh37,800 being unaccounted imprest given to staffers, citing non-compliance on the officers part.
Kisumu Polytechnic’s procurement officer is also to be surcharged more than Sh600,000 for procurement irregularities.
The institution’s finance officer also faces a surcharge of Sh499,370 for irregularities in the purchase of sports items, repairs and pharmaceutical items.
This followed a conclusion by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu that the polytechnic was in breach of the law and may not have received value for money from the procurement of goods.
“The committee observes that the finance officer and the procurement officer were negligent in discharging their duties,” the report reads.
MPs further want the Kisumu polytechnic council disbanded and members surcharged over an unauthorised expenditure of Sh14 million.
The council held 20 meetings in excess of the allowed maximum of six, the extra payment deemed as irregular.
The council members further face a surcharge of Sh1.1 million, which they were paid over and above the approved rate per sitting without any justification.
The amount was paid during a meeting to discuss allowances and MPs said there was no justification for the overpayment and thus amounted to misuse of public funds.
At Ugenya technical institute, MPs concluded the institution had a lot of errors in its financial statements and cited the accounting officer for negligence and incompetence.
MPs also cited Maseno University accounting officer as well as the directors of finance and procurement for incompetence in purchase of computers.
A similar conclusion was reached for Omuga technical college where MPs observed numerous errors in financial statements.
“This is a clear demonstration of incompetence and lack of seriousness by the management and the accounting team of the college,” the committee said.
The finance team from Seme technical college were also adjudged as incompetent for not being able to do a proper reconciliation and explain variances.
Accounting officer of Nyakach Technical and Vocational College also faces a surcharge of Sh297,500, being payment of board allowances.
“The payments were in breach of the law and pure mismanagement or embezzlement of funds,” MPs said.
“The institution had so many unnecessary errors in the financial statements that, although they were corrected, they bring a negative implication and a loophole for embezzlement of funds.”
At Siaya Institute of Technology, the committee observed errors subjected by the finance officer that creates a loophole for embezzlement of funds.
“The committee insists the errors occasioned by the finance officer cannot be taken lightly and finds him unfit to hold office.”
At Keroka TVC, the accounting officer was ignorant of or non-compliant with the various provisions of the PFM Act, 2012 and Public Audit Act, 2015.
“The committee reprimands the accounting officer for negligence in observing the law,” the report reads.
Board members of Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology also face a surcharge of Sh303,900 being taxes that were not deducted from their allowances.
The board also irregularly spent an extra Sh711,778 in the year ending June 30, 2020.
The report highlights issues of mismanagement of funds and incompetence cutting across the institutions.
Some accounting officers were ignorant of or did not comply with the various provisions of the PFM Act, 2012 and Public Audit Act, 2015.
“Audit queries spanning as far back as financial year 2018-19 remained unresponded to by some agencies who were only jolted to action once invited by the committee,” MPs said.
MPs also flagged expensive consultancies procured by the institutions.
“The committee observed that some projects had huge components for consultancies for project conception (architectural drawings) and supervision,” they said.
“Considering that consultants deliver their project designs before-hand, public agencies are forced to pay them upfront, from meagre resources that would otherwise be directed towards construction.”
The committee said the state of affairs has been compounded by a weak public works function that would ordinarily oversee public projects.
Some accounting officers also failed to submit supporting documentation to the Auditor General on time.
It also turned out that land held by various institutions were not secured and titled accordingly, hence exposed to encroachment in some cases.
MPs noted that construction projects in some state corporations had taken inordinately long to complete, leading to escalating costs through accrued interest.
A number of institutions had skewed ethnic diversity within their staff complement, especially at the senior management level.
Source: theStars .co.ke
Original writer: [email protected] (MOSES ODHIAMBO)