The Interior ministry has been put on the spot over the whereabouts of Sh200 million that the National Hospital Insurance Fund was supposed to refund the National Police Service.
The amount was meant for excess of loss cover to cushion police officers who might exhaust their limit from October 1, 2017 to September 30, 2019.
It was part of the Sh4.78 billion comprehensive medical cover for the officers whose contract the National Police Service awarded to NHIF through direct procurement.
“This amount was refundable at the end of the contract but was not refunded when the contract came to an end,” Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said in her report for 2018-19.
According to the report tabled in Parliament on Thursday, the Department did not provide documentary evidence to show how the refundable amount was applied.
“Consequently, it was not possible to determine whether the National Police Service got value for money from the amount of Sh200 million that was due for refund at the end of the comprehensive medical cover contract,” the report says.
Gathungu also flagged stalled, ‘substandard’ work and use of ‘sub-standard’ materials for the construction of a number of police stations and houses.
She cited the civil works at Pangani police station whose Sh10.83 million contract was awarded to a local construction company.
The contact was signed on April 10, 2018 with the work expected to be completed within 52 weeks.
“An audit inspection concluded on January 6, 2020 revealed that the contractor has abandoned the site and the work had not been completed,” reads the report.
It added, “The compact 25mm premix dense bituminous course, the joint precast concrete channel 250 by 125mm including 100mm thick concrete bed and haunch, the footpaths, storm water drainage both open and slotted work, headwalls and culverts, foul water drainage works and the pipe and manhole constructions had not been done as per the bill of quantities.”
The contractor left manholes dangerously open and exposed.
At Kamukunji police station, the construction of police lines worth Sh151.19 million had several deficiencies.
The rooftops that had been constructed using galvanised iron sheets were leaking in all the three blocks while PVC T&G ceiling boards fitted were loose and in some houses, had fallen off.
“The bill of quantities provided for three aluminum coated ladders not less than 900mm long. However, the contractor did not fit the same,” the report says.
Further, while BQs provided for 48 sets of five lever mortice locks for doors fitting, the contractor used latches and did not fit 40mm diameter rubber door steps as provided for.
The situation was the same at Nyamarambe police post where a Sh9.70 million contract was awarded to a local contractor for the construction of residential houses.
“It was observed that the contractor was required to use 16mm high yield square twisted reinforcement bars to BS cut, bent and placed in positions for reinforcement in line with BQ. However, the contractor used 12mm ditto high yield square reinforcement bars on the second floor.
The auditor also flagged Sh4.37 billion pending bills that the Department has accumulated as of June 30, 2019 despite the President’s express directive to all the state agencies to clear their debts.