Ghost drivers, missing fuel: How corruption runs county vehicles

Nairobi City County Governor Johnson Sakaja accompanied by Mobility Chief Officer Boniface Nyamu receives new inspectorates vehicles keys from Isuzu Kenya Rep City hall on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. [FILE/Standard]. Sometime after elections in 2022, Kisii county leadership made headlines for conducting a crackdown on ghost drivers assigned to county vehicles, highlighting how the use of public assets are shredded in corruption. Two years later, it now beats logics how the leadership has turned to be preaching water while drinking wine, if the latest Auditor General Report is anything to go by. Within the financial 2023/2024 financial year, the county lost a whooping Sh30 million spent in purchasing fuel that was not drawn by county vehicles, an amount more than half it used on fuel, oil and lubricant which was Sh55,539,905. "The vehicle, plant, and machinery had not drawn the fuel. In addition, the prepaid fuel to the third supplier of Sh10 million was yet to be consumed as at the date of audit in 23 October, 2024, four months after the prepayment was made," the report partly reads. However, Kisii case is not isolated, as the report highlighted several other counties riddled in the scandalous use of assets, particularly, vehicles to siphon hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money fraudulently. Nairobi County, the report revealed, paid insurance cover for 31 vehicles that are nonexistent in a general insurance service contract involving Sh129,713,854 for 226 vehicles, with only 195 in the list attached in payment documents of the contract signed in May 14, 2024 The report also uncovered how the City County Executive acquired additional vehicles during the financial year under review but failed to provide reports on additional cover and valuation for audit review. Further, while the audit revealed that 145 vehicles remained idle throughout the year without drivers assigned to them, it also emerged that some vehicles and equipment are operated by more than one driver. 402 vehicles were discovered to be non-operational, and the management did not provide records to confirm the dates when the assets were grounded and a disposal plan for the assets. "Records provided indicated that nineteen vehicles were involved in road accidents while six vehicles were written off by the insurer. However, evidence that the insurance company paid for the claims lodged in respect of the motor vehicles was not provided for audit." At the same time, the audit indicated that 14 vehicles were detained by private dealers and garages due to outstanding bills amounting to Sh36,223,235, with the county failing to issue job cards and Local Service Orders with details regarding repairs done on the vehicle, inspection reports as well as contracts between the County and the suppliers. A contract worth Sh39,793,429 for purchasing a motor vehicle prime mover is also in question as the county failed to provide the agreement for audit review. The equipment was delivered on April 28, 2024, but burned down two months later, the report said. In Kisumu county, Sh1,000,000 paid to pay for fuel could not be traced within the year under review could not be traced while work tickets for fuel amounting to Sh2,767,789 were not issued for audit. This revelation did put to question the expenditure of Sh94,821,894 on fuel, oil, and lubricants by the county in the year under review. A review of payment vouchers in Kisumu County indicated that Sh4,169,800 was paid to a firm from which the county hired cars for county executive visitors remain unaccounted for. "There was no documentary evidence to confirm that the transport officer certified and confirmed that the departments did not have enough vehicles to justify hiring of the vehicles. Further, no evidence was provided for audit to confirm if the County Executive has a transport policy guideline on management of transport," the report reads. County of Siaya, the Auditor General observed, could not explain how three travel companies contracted to transport staff were identified, casting doubts on Sh70,751,623 the county spent in the domestic travel and subsistence allowance "The basis and justification for the amounts paid was unclear as the County Executive has its own transport department and the staff travelling had been paid their travel and per diem allowances," Vihiga County has also been implicated in the discrepancies for what the Auditor General identified as failure to honour a contractual agreement in Motor Vehicle Insurance that the county was to pay a cumulative sum of Sh37,203,333 for three years payable in three installments. However, at the time of the audit, only an amount of Sh6,146,800 instead of Sh12,401,112 was paid to the insurer. "This implies, that the insurer will be paid subject to availability of funds, which seems unfair on the insurer's side, but alsoimplies that in case of peril, the County Executive may not be compensated as expected," the report said. "Security document amounting to Sh 280,000 for the successful bidder was not attached to the tender document," adds the report. Kajiado county government could also not confirm the delivery of a vehicle worth Sh5,621,276 paid for on June 30, 2024 as the procurement documents and the contract agreement were not provided for audit. Kericho county government could not account for more than Sh26 million it spent in foreign and domestic travel and subsistence expenditure. "Further, review of development bank statement and IFMIS payment details revealed payments to various members of staff amounting to Sh10,683,750 in respect of domestic travel and subsistence allowances," Similarly, Uasin Gishu county government could also not properly explain how Sh11,447,682 was spent on the same. The report stated that the foreign travel and subsistence expenses were overstated, while the domestic travel and subsistence allowances were also understated. In the audit, Nyandarua county could not produce for verification log books for its 42 vehicles and 15 motor cycles. Further, an updated status report detailing the condition of the vehicles 262 vehicles and 54 motor cycles was not provided for audit. In Isiolo, Sh22,460,391 was allocated in the county budget in respect of routine maintenance of vehicles and other transport equipment. However, sixteen (16) County Executive motor vehicles which were serviceable had been neglected in various private garages. The neighbouring Marsabit county, Sh3,399,484 was spent on foreign travel daily subsistence allowances and air tickets for threecounty officers who travelled to the United Kingdom in November, 2023 to receive three donated used Mercedes Benz ambulances. However, at the time of audit, a single ambulance had been delivered to the County. Value for the money could not be confirmed, the audit said. Tana River spent Sh8 million to purchase of Hilux Pick Up Double Cab. Although, the supplier had been paid the full amount, the motorvehicle had not been delivered at the time of the audit. Additionally, the county could not confirm to the Auditor General how 12 million was spent on domestic travel and subsistence allowance. Taita Taveta county...according to the report, irregularly spent Sh3,550,014 in repair and maintenance of a motor vehicle, a truck and a fire engine as the county could not produce the maintenance log. Mombasa county government made payments under the Departments of Public Service Board, Education and, Finance and Economic Planning amounting to Sh17,039,960 that now the Auditor General flags as irregularly spent on expenditures on domestic travel and subsistence.

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