Ghost Students Receive Ksh.120 Million CDF bursary Funds – Auditor Reports
According to audit reports tabled in the National Assembly, millions of shillings in bursary funds meant for students in tertiary and secondary schools cannot be accounted for in various constituencies.
Members of Parliament are in a bind as Auditor General Nancy Gathungu’s reports on the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) reveal that millions of shillings are allocated to non-existent students whose names are not provided, but the money is recorded as spent.
The reports tabled by Majority Leader Amos Kimunya raised concerns about Sh120 million from seven constituencies.
Ms Gathungu claims that constituencies do not provide a list of students or schools and are unable to account for funds, implying that many students suffer while funds meant to help them end up in the wrong hands.
According to reports, CDF offices have failed to provide beneficiary admission numbers and school information such as bank accounts.
MPs play a significant role in the selection of CDF management team members. The majority of them appoint cronies, including spouses, to manage the fund, leaving room for abuse.
The auditor in Chepalungu questioned the Sh46 million disbursed to students because there were no admission numbers of beneficiaries or supporting schedules of the disbursement.
Sh7.8 million disbursed to students in Isiolo South is in doubt due to a lack of acknowledgement by respective beneficiaries.
The payment of Sh2.5 million to two oil and lubricant suppliers has also been called into question, as there were no supporting documents such as requisition forms, quotations, or framework agreements.
Sh698,200 cannot be accounted for in Tigania West because neither students nor institutions acknowledged receipt.
The CDF office was unable to verify Sh23 million in Mbeere South due to a lack of documentation.
“Names of approved bursary committee members, bursary committee minutes, vetting minutes, acknowledgement letters or receipts from the receiving institutions for 804 beneficiaries and admission numbers for nine beneficiaries were not provided,” it says.
Under these conditions, the accuracy and validity of bursaries could not be confirmed according to the report.
In Njoro, 121,400 dollars distributed to 26 secondary schools have not been accounted for. The auditor notes that the beneficiaries’ admission numbers were not provided.
Sh4.6 million was also paid for the supply of internet installation in four wards, namely Njoro, Lare, Mau, Narok, and Mauche. Field inspections revealed that no installations had been completed in the Mauche and Njoro wards, resulting in no internet connectivity.
In Seme, the auditor has raised concerns about a Sh28 million bursary that was distributed without any supporting minutes or distribution criteria.
Ms Gathungu has also questioned the Sh1.9 million spent on sports-related projects.
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Supporting documents such as requisitions, inspection and acceptance committee reports, store records for receiving, recording, and issuing out goods, and types of items purchased were missing.
Ms Gathungu of Kajiado West has questioned the use of Sh28 million. According to the report, there was no bursary application register to show identification details such as names, addresses, schools, and colleges.
In Kigumo, there is a Sh14 million difference that the Auditor-General claims cannot be explained. The list of beneficiaries presented for audit reflected a disbursement of Sh13 million, but the amount recorded to have been disbursed is Sh28 million, resulting in a Sh14 million difference that remains unexplained.
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In Uriri, Sh1.9 million paid to office employees cannot be accounted for because there are no details such as payroll to confirm such payments, according to Ms Gathungu, and thus the expenditure’s validity cannot be confirmed.
Every year, CDF offices receive approximately Sh140 million. A Bill introduced by Butere MP Tindi Mwale seeks to double that amount.
