Audit reveals Tana River County Assembly spent Sh100 million on 'ghost project'

Tana River County Assembly has been put on the spot for misappropriating Sh100 million allocated for the construction of the Speaker's residence, a project that never took off.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee, which is probing the county over alleged plunder of public funds, expressed shock upon discovering that no work had been done on the residence despite the large sum being allocated three years ago.

Documents presented to the Auditor General revealed that the entire Sh100 million had been spent, but the project remained non-existent.

The Committee led by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, condemned the County Assembly, describing it as a criminal enterprise, with public funds being misused with impunity.

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"We cannot sit pretty and watch as the people of Tana River are being defrauded by the same leaders who are supposed to be safeguarding their resources," Kajwang said.

Governor Dhadho Godhana, who appeared before the committee, defended the county's actions but failed to account for the missing speaker's residence.

Despite the allocation of funds, the project had not materialised, and Godhana could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the lack of construction.

EACC called in

The committee has urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to quickly investigate top county officials who might be linked to the scandal.

Kajwang also revealed that the committee would push for the dissolution of the County Assembly, citing corruption as the primary reason.

The committee also raised concerns over unresolved issues from previous audit reports, some dating back to the 2020/21 financial year. Kajwang pointed out that the governor failed to clarify the status of the proposed county headquarters, which was reported to be at only 23 per cent completion in 2020. The governor's response did not align with the true status of the project.

Additionally, the committee highlighted a significant increase in an account line labelled "other payments."

According to the Committee, the budget for this item jumped from Sh111 million in 2020/21 to Sh241 million, more than doubling. In the following year, it soared to Sh267 million.

Kajwang emphasised that the Office of the Auditor General must determine the nature of these payments and investigate the reason behind the escalating figures.