Over Sh8 billion goes missing from Kenya's Interior Ministry

david nganga

December 9, 2017 5:13 PM

Billions of shillings cannot be accounted for from the Acting Interior CS' office.

Kenyas Interior Ministry has been put on the spot over unexplained expenditures running into billions of shillings.

Fred Matiang'i is in trouble over the loss of sh1.47 billion

The office of the Auditor General has questioned the more than Sh8 billion suspicious cash deposits from the Ministry headed for the time being by Fred Matiang'i.

The cash transfer to call deposit at INSTB, fixed deposit at INSTB, Euro call deposit and USD call deposit accounts are in total contravention of the Finance Management Act, which require Cabinet approval in line with the National Treasury recommendations.

“Repayments, interest and proceeds received from the bank into this account is Sh4.2 billion, leaving a balance of Sh8.5 billion,” inquired Auditor General Edward Ouko in reference to Sh12 billion audit query.

Another Sh8 billion deposited at a local bank between 2013 and 2017 January further exposed the suspicious financial activities at the ministry.

Mr. Ouko cited irregular procurement of air tickets and goods, fictitious entry in store records, irregular procurement of motorcycles, unlawful cash withdrawals, unaccounted cash transfers and falsification of records among others.

The Auditor General stated that he could not ascertain the legality of the police insurance scheme as there was irregular payment of Sh3.5 billion arising from irregular award of a contract to a private firm for provision of the comprehensive Group Life Insurance cover to the police.

The audit also found that the cost of shoe wears had been inflated and receipts falsified.

The audit has established that information disclosed on stores ledger and stock control for shoes (S3 card) A241223 has been fraudulently falsified as the same card number discloses different information on April 19, 2016 and May 31, 2017,” Ouko said.

“Examination of stores card numbers A241057 and A268592 reflects unexplained increase of 5,000 and 2,000 pairs of footwear respectively. The source of these receipts have not been indicated or explained.”

In May this year, the Ministry was yet again brought to task over the unexplained use of Sh3 billion collected for issuance of visas, passports and certificates of good conduct along with fees charged at Huduma centres.

david nganga