Kitui MCAs unearth how Kitui county Covid millions were misused

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Kitui County Governor Charity Ngilu during a screening and testing for Covid-19. (Photo credit - Courtesy)

Kitui County Assembly passed a motion adopting the report by the Implementation Committee on the Status of COVID-19 funds by the County during the financial year 2019/2020.

The motion was moved by David Thuvi, the Chairperson of the Committee and seconded by Hon. Waziri Bakari. In 2020, the County Assembly approved a 420 million supplementary budget for Covid mitigation measures.

The health and sanitation ministry was allocated 265 million, Trade department 55 million, Education, ICT, and Youth 62 million, and Agriculture and water 45 million.

Despite the County Assembly approving 420 million only, the Health Department used 498 million meaning the county executive used 78 million without approval by the assembly as per the law.

According to the report of the implementation committee, the county purchased 300 beds without the capacity to accommodate the beds.

“That the Accounting Officer, Ministry of Health and Sanitation be investigated by the DCI and the EACC as to why he caused supply of 300 beds while there existed no infrastructural capacity to accommodate all these beds.” The Implementation committee report read in part.

“The three isolation centres in Kitui County had a total bed capacity of 68 with Kitui County Referral Hospital and Kauwi Sub District Hospital having a bed capacity of 24 each while Mwingi Level IV Hospital had a bed capacity of 20, arguably due to lack of storage facilities.” The report went on.

The committee further called on action to be taken on the officer who irregularly failed to transfer an additional conditional grant of 120 million into the Kitui County COVID-19 account as required.

In May, Mauvoo News carried out a series on the Audit queries on Covid-19 funds in the 3 Lower Eastern counties. For Kitui, The Auditor-General raised a red flag over 298, 966, 655 Ksh. meant for Covid-19 from Kitui General Hospital. The Auditor-General also raised a red flag on the usage of 4 million from the Covid funds to settle pending bills not related to Covid-19.

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