Auditor General on the spot for protecting corrupt procurement officers

Legislators have accused the Auditor General for allegedly covering up corrupt procurement officers in State agencies.

Members of the Public Investments Committee (PIC) yesterday claimed that the auditor was focusing on “petty inspection areas” leaving out queries involving billions of shillings.

Mandera East MP Omar Maalim noted that the auditor ought to have questioned the officers before graft agencies highlighted the graft cases.

“The issue here is that the auditors never raised questions about these officers, only for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to pounce on them over graft-related charges,” Maalim said.

Kinangop MP Kwenya Thuku stated that the office of the Auditor General is exposing itself as a collaborator in State corporation corruption.

“It’s strange that the auditor gives procurement officers a clean bill of health only to have them arrested and charged with theft-related charges,” Thuku said.

The majority of those affected, according to the MPs, are road agencies where procurement officers run the show.

The lawmakers who met with Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRa) executives, suggested that the auditor should conduct a lifestyle audit on procurement officers in road agencies.

They further singled out a former procurement manager at KeRRa, Margaret Wanja who is accused of acquiring multimillion shilling property in a span of three years in the Assets Recovery Agency (ARA), termed as proceeds of crime.

She was however never named in reports tabled before the National Assembly by the Auditor General.

Wanja is currently in court fighting to remain at KeRRA.