Drama characterises Wa Iria grilling over Covid funds

 

Drama, chaos and shouting matches characterised the grilling of Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria by a senate committee over the spending of Covid-19 funds by his administration.

The Senate Health Committee pressed the governor to explain the irregularities committed by his administration in the expenditures.

The panel is investigating how the counties spent billions of shillings disbursed to them to fight the Covid-19 pandemic after an audit report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu revealed irregularities and illegalities.

Wa Iria was hard-pressed to justify the expenditure of Sh213.41 million by his administration without work plans contrary to the provisions of the County Governments Act.

The governor refuted the query, stating that the plans were developed by the national emergency response committee in collaboration with the county executive.

“The plans which guided our activities were developed by the multi-agency team. However, the procurement and payment of the items were done by the relevant department,” he said.

However, the committee, led by a stand-in chairman Ledama Ole Kina questioned why the auditors had not seen the plans and why the same was not presented to the Senate.

Ole Kina ordered Wa Iria to send the plans to the committee and the auditor general in seven days, failure to which the committee would proceed to file a report indicting the county.

The county chief was also tasked to explain why his administration double paid a supplier for the supply of hydrogen peroxide.

The county paid Sh344,000 instead of Sh172,000 to Saku Pharmaceuticals.

Further, Wairia was tasked to justify the wrong computing of withholding tax that could have cost the taxpayer Sh657,482 and procurement of 3,700 bales of maize worth Sh5.57 million without requisition from the user department.

The county also awarded tenders worth Sh3 million for the supply of surgical facemasks to non-prequalified companies.

Wa Iria admitted his officers had double paid Saku Pharmaceuticals but said the payments had been reversed as the matter was being followed with a view of punishing the offenders.

Concerning the wrong computation of withholding tax, he explained that not all item procurements fell in the taxable category, adding that only Sh3,435 was the tax due and not Sh657,482 as reported by the auditor.

The session was preceded by drama as Wa Iria and Ole Kina engaged in exchanges in the opening minutes that almost drove the meeting into disarray

“I want to first of all express disappointment because my people were chased away last time,” the governor said when he was invited by the stand-in chairman to introduce himself and his team.

On Monday, the committee turned away health executive Joseph Mbai whom the governor had sent to respond to the quarries.

The panel said it could not receive submissions from the CEC adding that it had invited the governor in his capacity as the county chief executive officer as stipulated in Article 179 of the Constitution.

“No, I must first go through the background,” the governor said.

“Governor kindly, with all due respect, may you just introduce yourself, Ole Kina said

“We invited you to appear because you are the CEO of the county but you skipped, we extended a courtesy and invited you again.”

“Your people were not sent away, it is the tradition that since article 179 of the Constitution puts you as the CEO, it is you who would be answering the questions,” the Narok senator said.

But the governor insisted, “I want to comment,”

“Kindly governor, I will allow you time to give any comment,” Ole Kina said.

“But you cannot deny me an opportunity to comment,” the governor insisted, forcing the senator to yield.

“With due respect, when we are opening such meetings, even we go for CPAIC, I must say something at the beginning. We cannot just dive into issues,” Wa Iria lamented.

He accused the committee of turning away his officers, arguing the senators had invited the executive and not necessarily the governor to appear

“So when they were sent away, everybody wondered because these are departmental issues. I am not a departmental head,” the governor said.

Ole Kina interjected saying the county CEO who is the governor should appear before it and not the CECs.

However, the governor seemingly took issue with Ole Kina, “Senator Ledama, I have heard you abusing people”

“Excuse me,” Ole Kina said, as the meeting took a nasty turn.

“Chairman, we cannot proceed like this, we are senators please governor address us with respect,” Nominated Senator Beatrice Kwamboka said.

Nominated Senator Mary Seneta also intervened, asking the chairman to proceed to substantive issues.   BY THE STAR