The Auditor-General has blamed the Ministry of Education for flouting procedures of procurement in the disbursement of millions of shillings to schools and colleges for the projects of renovation and infrastructure development.
In a report presented in the National Assembly, Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu raised questions on millions for the financial year 2018/19 were spent to cover repairs and construction in various schools and colleges.
The institutions in question are Mama Ngina High, Buru Buru Girls, Nembu Girls, Machakos Boys, Mary Hill Girls, Kaimosi Teachers Training College, and Shanzu Teachers College.
Gathungu raised concern over the disbursement of some Sh. 51.5 million for infrastructure development in 65 primary schools.
Nancy Gathungu observed that the money was disbursed without any formal application contrary to a requirement that schools should seek approval of the Ministry through County Directors of Education.
“The regularity of the disbursement could be confirmed,” read the report.
The report comes amid heated debate emanating from findings from the Auditor General that the Ministry made questionable payments to close to Sh 1 billion from the Free Primary Education Kitty to primary schools that do not exist.
According to the auditors, officials from the Ministry of Education channeled Sh 919 million to various primary schools whose identical registration numbers were not traceable in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) schools’ register.
On Mama Ngina High School, the report shows that even though Sh. 192.45 was disbursed for the school to be relocated to the school to North Coast.
A review of the contract revealed that the evaluation committee never complied with regulations of procurement.
The committee did not also comply with the law that requires an evaluation committee to prepare an analysis of the tenders received and final ratings assigned to each tender and to submit a report that comprises of, among others, the scores every evaluator awarded for every tender or proposal to the tender committee.
“Minutes availed for audit review did not indicate the presence or professional contribution of a secretary who is in charge of the procurement function.
“In the circumstances, it has not been possible to confirm the propriety of the expenditure of Sh. 183.2 million and that public resources have been applied lawfully and in an effective way,” reads the report.
Nembu Girls High School is on the spot over the installation of a CCTV system that cost them Sh. 600,000.
According to Gathungu, the school administration procured the cameras at Sh. 1.12 million. This is not in line with section 45(3) of the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal, which provides that all procurement processes shall be within the approved budget of the procuring entity.