Counties exposed as Auditor General flags major in emergency preparedness
The report raises serious concerns about adherence to financial management laws, putting millions of residents at risk from floods, fires, famine, disease outbreaks, and other urgent emergencies.
Many counties are failing to prepare for emergencies, leaving disaster response funds poorly managed, according to the latest audit report.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has highlighted major weaknesses in counties’ ability to act quickly during crises, citing failures to allocate, manage, or replenish emergency funds.
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The report raises serious concerns about adherence to financial management laws, putting millions of residents at risk from floods, fires, famine, disease outbreaks, and other urgent emergencies.
The audit, covering the financial year ending June 30, 2025, shows that some counties provide no resources for emergencies, while others allocate too little or misuse the money.
In Siaya, the county assembly approved Sh70 million for emergency spending, but the funds were never transferred.
“During the year under review, the County assembly of Siaya appropriated a budget of Sh70 million towards the Siaya Emergency Fund. However, the county executive failed to transfer the appropriated monies to the Fund, contrary to section 4(2)(a) of the Siaya Emergency Fund,” the report notes. This left the fund unable to cover any urgent expenses.
Taita Taveta also failed to meet its budgetary target, allocating only Sh2.52 million to the emergency kitty against a planned Sh10 million, leaving a gap of Sh7.47 million.
The auditor warned that such underfunding could hinder counties’ ability to respond promptly during crises.
Kilifi County was criticised for procurement irregularities, losing Sh67.24 million on relief food.
The county bought goods worth Sh220.99 million from seven suppliers under a framework agreement in November 2022 but skipped mandatory checks to ensure competitive pricing. Required mini-competitions were not conducted, and management approved inflated costs despite a market survey conducted in April 2024, resulting in heavy financial losses.
Embu County was also flagged after spending Sh5.07 million without a budget and failing to restore the emergency fund within the required two months.
Under the Public Management (Embu County Emergency Fund) Regulations, 2020, executives must replenish the fund promptly to maintain readiness. Embu’s oversight left the fund unable to provide immediate resources when needed.
Kisumu County overspent its emergency fund, using Sh202.13 million despite appropriating only Sh81.01 million. Gathungu noted that this raised doubts about the fund’s long-term sustainability.
Additionally, Kisumu has not fully operationalised its emergency fund since it was established in 2018 due to a lack of supporting legislation. One withdrawal of Sh1.87 million to renovate storage facilities was deemed inappropriate, as it did not qualify as an emergency expense.
Nyamira County allocated only Sh15 million to its emergency fund, representing a mere 0.19 per cent of its Sh8.10 billion annual budget. The Public Finance Management Act requires counties to set aside at least one per cent of their yearly budget for emergencies.
The report highlights a worrying trend: counties continue to ignore the legal requirement to maintain sufficient emergency funds, leaving residents exposed when disasters strike and emergency response becomes critical.
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