Government hit by new Sh6.3 Billion corruption scandal

janet ndila

June 10, 2018 9:11 AM

Runaway corruption continues as auditors reveal how Sh6.3 was plundered and looted from KETRACO

The ongoing looting spree in government is far from over after internal auditors unearthed a fresh Ksh 6.3 Billion scandal, adding on to the list of scandals that have seen the public lose billions to corruption.

The scandal at Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) saw expertriates paid an inflated fee of Ksh 200000 per day with one contractor claiming a fee of Ksh 108 Million per month for a period of 23 months for no work.

As a result, the taxpayer was handed over the burden as the corrupt individuals had a field day plundering and looting public funds.

The billions were lost through illegal price escalation, false and fictitious claims and paying millions to individuals and companies for doing no work, just like in the case of NYS where Anne Ngirita was paid close to 60 Million Shillings for supplying air.

In some instances, contracts were reviewed upwards, inflating the cost by 86 percent, way above the 20 per cent variation limit stipulated by procurement law.

The audit report reveals that contractor claimed more money idling than what they would have been paid when working at full potential.

The report read in part that “The total claim per month for idling and overhead is much higher than what the contractor would be paid in a month working at full potential,” the auditor says.

Case in point is Indian firm, Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd which has been paid Ksh Sh730.6 million for idling. The firm is set to receive another Sh2.8 billion which has already been approved.

The second term of President Uhuru Kenyatta has been plagued by unprecedented corruption scandals.

In recent days, NYS, National Irrigation Board (NIB), Kenya Power, National Cereals Produce Board (NCPB), and Kenya Pipeline Company have featured in scandals that have seen the public lose billions to corruption.

janet ndila