Economy

Four ministries lose new cars, motorcycles

gathungu

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu. PHOTO | NMG

Four ministries are on the spot for losing motor vehicles and other transport equipment worth millions of shillings in controversial circumstances.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has flagged the ministries of Education, Infrastructure, Trade and Industry as well as Health for the loss of government vehicles.

The Department for University Education lost a brand new vehicle worth Sh8.4 million that was stolen within days after purchase in 2019.

One vehicle belonging to the Infrastructure department vanished while two vehicles went missing at the Trade and Industry ministry. Six motorcycles were reported stolen at the Ministry of Health.

“Available information indicates that the management acquired a project vehicle - Toyota Fortuner Registration No. GK B193V at a cost of Sh8,355,900 in May 2019,” Ms Gathungu said in an audit of the State Department for University Education books of accounts for the year to June 2021.

“However, physical verification and motor vehicle records revealed that the vehicle was missing.”

Ms Gathungu said the Toyota Fortuner was purchased for the Easter and Southern Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE II) project under credit number 5798-KE.

“The Project Management explained that the vehicle was stolen, within days after purchase, in a carjacking incident and this was reported to the police,” she said.

“In the circumstances, the accounting officer may not have put adequate measures to safeguard project assets and consequently the citizens will not derive value from this vehicle.”

At the State Department for Infrastructure, Ms Gathungu reported the loss of a motor vehicle worth Sh6.5 million.

She said the motor vehicle, registration number GKB 211J belonging to the Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology was reported stolen on July 3, 2020.

Ms Gathungu also raised the red flag over delays in the recovery of two stolen motor vehicles of undetermined value from the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

At the Health ministry, Ms Gathungu flagged stolen assets that included six motorcycles and one laptop which were indicated in the asset register and asset verification report to have been stolen.

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