PS to be grilled over suspect Sh15m pay

Culture principal secretary Josephta Mukobe will Monday morning explain why an officer was paid Sh15 million during an East African festival that was held in Nairobi in 2015.

Ms Mukobe failed to disclose the identity of the officer who pocketed the money during the Jumuiya Ya Africa Mashariki Utamaduni Festival.

However, Auditor-General Edward Ouko’s officers told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that Ms Imelda Githuka was paid the amount. The officer, who works at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) has not surrendered or accounted for the money to date.

“We are giving you one week to tell us what has happened to this officer and how was she given Sh15 million,” Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi who chairs PAC said.

Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang demanded to know how the PS could prepare the responses to audit queries without knowing the officer paid Sh15 million.

“You are under oath. Is it possible that you could prepare responses and failed to know the identity of a person you paid Sh15 million? When we ask you who the officer is, you now want more time to ascertain his or her identity. Are you really honest with the answers you are giving us?” posed Mr Kajwang.

The auditor had questioned the ministry’s failure to account for Sh56 million that was spent in pending bills for the year to June 2016.

The committee directed Ms Mukobe to tabulate the pending bills and provide the reasons why the law firm of S.S Malonza Advocates was paid Sh15 million for a sporting event.

The PS is also expected to provide justification for payment of Sh43 million to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

She will also have to explain the omission of Sh29 million from a list of pending bills for 2014/15 only for the sum to be reinstated in 2015/16 financial year

“There is no better way of stealing public funds if not through pending bills. Bills jumped without being a first charge in subsequent financial year,” said Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo.

Suna East MP Junet Mohamed asked Ms Mukobe to disclose in her responses the entire budget for the Jumuiya festival.

“We need the whole issue of Jumuiya festival to be explained in detail. We want to know where the venue was and who is this Imelda Githuka who was paid Sh15 million. We want a detailed report on how the festival was conducted and how the lawyer and the media were paid millions of shillings,” said Mr Mohamed.