Baringo county has been flagged by the Auditor General Ms Nancy Gathungu for paying more than Sh6 billion in irregular and unaccounted for expenditures. The costs include fees paid for non-existent staff, legal services, and other consumables.
In the report, it was uncovered that the Baringo government disbursed Sh11.60 million to external lawyers who potentially never appeared in court to represent the county’s interests.
The report, presented in the Senate, reveals that although Baringo engaged external law firms, there was no clarity on when these services were procured or whether the lawyers actually attended court proceedings.
The report further highlights that critical documentation such as tender advertisements, evaluations, signed service agreements, proof of court appearances, and invoices indicating services rendered were not provided for audit purposes.
Furthermore, the procurement process for these legal services did not receive approval from the county executive committee, contravening legal requirements.
Ksh 25 million paid to nonexistent staff
Additionally, concerns have been raised over the possibility of Baringo county disbursing Sh25.52 million to nonexistent staff, prompting fears of significant financial mismanagement.
The auditor flagged the manual disbursement of salaries amounting to Sh25.52 million, highlighting the abandonment of the more secure automated system in favor of a manual payroll system vulnerable to abuse and manipulation.
These revelations also form part of the larger financial audit report for the County Executive covering the fiscal year ending June 20, 2023, released by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu. The report exposes numerous irregularities, illegal expenditures, and procurement processes, raising questions about accountability within the county administration.
County stalled projects
Furthermore, several projects worth over Sh600 million have either stalled or experienced delays, exacerbating financial challenges.
Additionally, the county is burdened with heavy debts totaling Sh94.80 million.
Moreover, the county administration failed to justify the expenditure of Sh214.64 million reportedly allocated for the purchase of fuel, oil, and lubricants, further deepening concerns about financial mismanagement and lack of transparency.
