Economy

KPA on the spot for paying staff Sh17m to cheer Bandari FC

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Auditor General Nancy Gathungu. PHOTO | LUCY WANJIRU | NMG

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) paid Sh17 million in allowances for its staff to attend Bandari Football Club matches as cheering squad, the Auditor General’s report shows.

The report tabled in Parliament indicates that KPA paid the allowances despite the football club being an independent entity with its budget.

The cash is part of Sh96 million unsupported sports expenditure that Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has questioned in the report Majority Leader Amos Kimunya tabled in the House.

“The expenditure includes Sh17 million paid to staff to attend football matches of Bandari Football Club. However, it was not clear how and why the authority issued imprests to staff in the football cheering team given that the club is an independent entity with its own budget,” reads part of the audit report.

The report has also revealed that the KPA paid salaries and allowances to non-employees who were selected to join the authority team and represent it in various tournaments both locally and abroad.

The perks in question include subsistence and transport allowance during the various tournaments.

“The management did not provide details on how the team management units employees and no-employees players were selected to participate in various tournaments and subsistence allowance paid. Further, an approved policy on the terms of engagement with the team management units on the engagements of non-employees were not provided for audit review,” says Ms Gathungu in the report.

The auditor has also questioned the payment of Sh53 million paid to staff as a bonus. Ms Gathungu says the bonus payments were made not based on individual evaluated performance but on a one-month basic salary for all employees a move she said is against the Public Service Commission rewards and sanctions framework.

Further, the KPA is also on the spot over Sh49 million meant for the purchase of high-quality overalls.

The auditor found out that the authority lied that it imported the overalls from Canada while the overalls had a local manufactures label.