Auditor queries Sh2billion used to procure CBC desks
The Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has questioned the procurement of computers and desks for the Competency-Based Curriculum at a cost of Sh2 billion.
Gathungu accused the State Department of Early Learning and Basic Education of breaking the law while conducting the exercise in a report presented to the National Assembly last week.
Out of the Sh2 billion, Sh1.9 billion was set aside to provide 70 tables and 50 lockers to primary and secondary schools, respectively, in order to comply with Ministry of Health social distancing regulations in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The initiative was also intended to boost the economy by generating jobs for local artisans, while a firm was paid Sh199.9 million for the supply and delivery of 2,040 computers to 200 secondary schools across the country.
Gathungu also named officials who received Sh10.2 million in subsistence allowance from the aforementioned funds in relation to desks.
The expenditure of Sh10.2 million was also found to be in violation of Section 79(2b) of the Public Finance and Management Act 2012, which provides that a public official hired by a State organ or public institution must guarantee cautious and transparent resource management.
“A total of Sh10,214,400 was paid to staff from the State department headquarters as daily subsistence allowances to monitor distribution of desks and lockers to their respective destinations in all counties notwithstanding (the fact) that the department has established offices countrywide and the staff in these offices could have been used with minimal or no cost,” said Gathungu.
She said that no information on how the needs assessment was conducted was available, and that socio-economic segregation in secondary schools could not have been achieved without a matching increase in the number of classes or student population.
“Authority to Incur Expenditures totaling Sh1,897,135,000 dated October 1, 2020 were sent to all 47 counties but funding was not effected and instead, actual payments were centralised at the head office using a Safaricom application not prescribed by the Treasury,” Gathungu said.
Gathungu voiced concern that the department continued with the procurement despite the lack of auditable documents to determine value for money, supplier quality, how uniform prices were determined and competition among craftspeople.
