The Senate committee has given a 14 days ultimatum to TanaRiver County after the governor presented unsupported expenditure documents.
Issuing directive to Tana River governor Ghodhana Dhadho who appeared before the senate accounts and investment committee over the 2017/18 audit queries, the committee chair Moses Kajwag said the county chief must present the supporting documents explaining the expenditure of sh 222 million shillings which were not supported by documents presented before the committee on Monday.
“Provision of supporting documents indicating how much was spent by CECS , we need that evidence, this committee is meant to help counties to up their game, we shall be inviting chairs of public accounts committee of county assemblies so that we will be able to help these people at the county level” Kiambu senator Kimani Wamatangi said
According to the report presented by the governor, Tana River received Sh5.6 billion from the National Treasury during the 2017/2018 financial year.
The county spent Sh4.5 billion, and sh 1.12 billion was left with an intention of purchasing assets.
However, financial statements indicate that the money left was over Sh1.3 billion, resulting in an unexplained difference of Sh222 million.
“When you come to us governor make sure you have proper documentation, we have given you time out to ascertain that this is right and this is wrong.”Wamatangi added.
However the Tana River governor explained that the difference was brought about as a result of a ‘typing error ‘to which the chair turned the heat to the two chief accountants who he said signed documents which entailed erroneous mistakes, threatening that the committee will contact accountants regulation body ICPAK to take action against the duo for the mistakes.
The committee also questioned why the county was executing upfront tax deductions at the source a matter they termed as ‘wrong’.
However governor Dhadho said that he will be doing capacity building and inter departmental meetings.
