The Auditor-General has flagged four ministries over the disappearance of high-end cars and other transport items under suspicious circumstances.
According to recent audit reports of the State Departments’ books of accounts for the fiscal year ending June 2021, the ministries of Education, Infrastructure, Trade and Industry as well as Health, are under investigation over the disappearance of State cars.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu indicates that the Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) George Magoha lost a brand-new vehicle worth Sh8.4 million in 2019 days after its purchase.
“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 however, physical verification and motor vehicle records revealed that the vehicle was missing,” Gathungu said.
The SUV was acquired for the Easter and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence (ACE II) initiative using credit code 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. 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,” said Gathungu.
The asset registration and asset verification report for the Ministry of Health revealed that six motorcycles and one laptop were reported stolen.
Another car worth Sh6.5 million that belonged to the infrastructure division of CS James Macharia vanished at the same time.
The Kenya Institute of Highways and Building Technology’s automobile with the registration number GKB 211J was reported stolen on July 3, 2020.
Two vehicles of unknown worth got lost at the Trade and Industry department under CS Betty Maina.