The Office of the Auditor General (OAG) has released its report on County Executives for the 2022-2023 financial year, exposing widespread mismanagement and embezzlement of funds by governors and other county officials.
Among the devolved units, Meru County, under the leadership of Governor Kawira Mwangaza, stood out for reporting fewer instances of officials looting taxpayers’ funds. Additionally, it was noted as one of the few counties in Kenya where tribal appointments in county staff employment were not flagged by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu.
However, the report identified several areas of concern within Meru County. One such issue was the irregular payment of emergency call allowances, particularly to doctors and medical officers. While other counties were accused of underpaying medical professionals, Meru County faced criticism for overpaying them. Gathungu noted that the compensation of employees totaled Ksh5 million, including Ksh126 million paid to 161 doctors as emergency call allowances.
The payment rates used exceeded the stipulated amount of Ksh30,000 per month set by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission Circular.
Furthermore, the Auditor General raised concerns about the accuracy and propriety of Ksh1.2 million paid as legal fees by the county government. Although these fees stemmed from a 2021 case predating Kawira Mwangaza’s tenure as governor, their legitimacy was questioned.
In addition, the report highlighted issues regarding the construction of a new ablution block and a clubhouse. While Ksh2 million was allocated for the project, the lack of advertisement, notice to tender, and bid documents raised doubts about the transparency of the expenditure. Although the Auditor General did not specify any funds being lost during the project, she could not vouch for the accuracy, propriety, and completeness of the amount spent.
